Overview
Poncho is a parametric weather insurance platform for travel and leisure businesses, embedded into the booking checkout experience. Founded in 2023 and headquartered in Morges, Switzerland, it enables operators in segments such as skiing, golf, beach holidays, outdoor events, and camping to offer customers automatic weather-based refunds at the point of sale.
The platform delivers coverage via RESTful API integration with existing booking systems, allowing businesses to include the guarantee as an add-on or bundle it with monthly invoicing. Poncho monitors weather conditions in real time using data from NOAA, ECMWF, and Deutscher Wetterdienst. When predefined thresholds are breached -- precipitation above 1.5mm/hour or wind above 35km/h -- the system automatically triggers a refund without requiring customers to cancel or file a claim.
Poncho operates two legal entities: Poncho Insurance Ltd. in Switzerland (exempt from FINMA supervision under Swiss Federal Insurance law) and Poncho Insurance EU SAS in France (ORIAS License no. 2400 3598, authorized across all EEA countries). The company launched commercially in November 2024 and closed a CHF 550k (USD 617k) seed round led by WeBuild Ventures. It had integrated with five travel and leisure businesses in Switzerland at the time of its seed funding announcement.
Products & Services
Weather Guarantee
A weather guarantee product that travel and leisure businesses embed into their booking checkout. Customers opt in to coverage at purchase; Poncho monitors real-time weather at the destination and automatically issues a refund when conditions exceed predefined thresholds. No claim filing or cancellation is required.
Key Features
- Real-time weather monitoring via satellite, radar, NOAA, ECMWF, and DWD data
- Automatic refund processing within two business days once customers provide bank details
- Refund calculated per affected day; capped at total booked trip price
- Configurable thresholds: precipitation over 1.5mm/hour or wind above 35km/h
- Optional retention days to manage affordability
Target Users: Travel and leisure operators -- ski resorts, golf courses, beach holiday providers, campsite operators, outdoor event organizers, wedding venues
Integration Platform
Multiple integration paths for businesses to connect Poncho to their booking flows.
Key Features
- RESTful API integration with existing reservation and booking systems
- Branded web app available immediately upon contract signing (no upfront costs)
- SDKs and pre-built widgets (planned)
- Custom plugins for third-party providers
- Five configurable parameters to tailor coverage to business requirements
Target Users: Travel and leisure businesses seeking to offer weather protection to customers at point of sale
At a Glance
- Founded
- 2023
- Headquarters
- Morges, Switzerland
- Employees
- 1-10
- Funding
- Seed
Category & Focus
- Category
- Specialty Solutions
- Subcategories
- Parametric Insurance Embedded Insurance Weather Insurance
- Insurance Verticals
- Specialty/E&S
- Target Customers
- Carriers, Brokers, Consumers
Links
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Last updated: 2026-06-05