It’s fascinating to look at how a new company grows to make its mark, and establish itself apart from competitors. One great start-up story is specialty property and casualty insurer AmTrust Financial Services, founded during the dot-com boom of the late 1990s. In a recent interview with A.M. Best magazine, President and Chief Executive Officer Barry Zyskind explains how AmTrust has come up the ranks of the insurance industry.

“Early on, we recognized that we could differentiate ourselves through technology,” Zyskind said. “Every application we use, from underwriting to claims management, is built internally to maximize our productivity and data mining capabilities. When we acquire a business, we quickly integrate it on our technology platforms. Our digital strategy has absolutely set us apart in a highly competitive industry.

He continued, “We use our proprietary technology and extensive database of loss history to help appropriately price and structure policies, maintain lower levels of loss, enhance our ability to accurately predict losses and maintain lower claims costs than the industry as a whole.”

One of AmTrust’s areas of focus is warranty insurance, the first product it offered. As Barry Zyskind explained, “Our warranty program is on a rapid growth trajectory. Today, our automotive and powersports vehicle service contract division is a world leader, while our retail and consumer products extended service plan division ranks among the world’s top three.”

Zyskind emphasized that AmTrust will continue investing in technology as part of its growth strategy. “We will continue to invest in our technology platforms and look for new ways to target our most desired classes of business. We are optimistic about the organic growth prospects of our small-commercial business segment, which for the year 2015 produced over $3.3 billion of premiums, as well as the potential for growth in our other segments. We continue to look at acquisitions throughout the world and believe we are well-positioned to address opportunities that arise.”