GRACE, a Franco-Swiss fintech company enabling luxury brands to offer built-in protection against theft and loss, has secured €5.9M in seed funding.
The round was led by FinTech Collective and Speedinvest, with participation from Firstminute Capital, Purple (Laurent Ritter’s fund), Kima Ventures and Bpifrance.
Notable investors including Didier Valet (former MD, Société Générale), Eric Mignot (CEO, +Simple), Maxime Brousse (CEO, Selency via Sequoia scout program), Josef Bovet (via a16z scout programme), Martin Hartley (COO, PURE Insurance) and Thomas Clozel (CEO, Owkin), also participated in this round.
Olga Shikhantsova, Partner at Speedinvest, says, “GRACE has identified a significant gap in the luxury market and developed an innovative solution to address it. Lou, Quentin, and Martin’s deep understanding of both the luxury industry and the complexity of insurance is essential as they build a global product from day one.”
“We’re beyond excited to support GRACE as they redefine luxury ownership and protection while setting a new standard of care between luxury brands and their clients.”
Capital utilisation
Quentin Roy, CEO of GRACE, says, “The alarming rise in luxury theft—highlighted by a 60 per cent surge in stolen luxury watches in 2023—is undermining customer confidence and brand experience. Existing solutions lack adaptability, global coverage, and seamless integration within the customer journey — three elements that are nonetheless essential to the luxury industry.”
GRACE offers luxury clients automatic protection, integrated with brand experiences and provided at no extra cost.
The company will use the funds to cover over 200,000 luxury items through partnerships with major brands and a luxury group by the end of 2025.
A partnership with global insurance provider Chubb supports GRACE’s international expansion, providing insurance coverage designed for the luxury market. This collaboration ensures financial stability, industry expertise, and the ability to meet operational requirements in key regions.
Toby Triebel, Partner at FinTech Collective, says, “Since our first meeting with Lou, Quentin, and Martin, their creativity, poise, and tenacity have stood out to us – all essential ingredients to become a category-defining partner to luxury goods companies.”
“No insurance player has ever succeeded in creating an embedded product for this market with worldwide distribution capabilities, and we believe that GRACE is on a path to do just this.”
Transforming luxury goods protection
Founded in 2022 by Lou Dana, Quentin Roy, and Martin Lenweiter, GRACE is a fintech company redefining protection for luxury clients by offering automatic coverage against theft and loss.
From the moment of purchase, protection is activated at no extra cost and remains linked to the item, even when gifted. This solution integrates with luxury brands, ensuring a smooth and intuitive experience for clients.
GRACE reinvents the claims process by eliminating friction and leveraging advanced technology. Clients can file claims in minutes, with resolutions completed in days.
Designed specifically for the luxury market, the company’s proprietary AI-powered system automates the entire claims process while ensuring precise fraud detection at any scale.
Brands gain access to valuable client data that would otherwise be unavailable through traditional distribution channels, multi-brand retailers, gifting, or resale.
Lou Dana, President of GRACE, says, “The leaders in luxury immediately grasp the scope of our proposition. We’re not just offering protection: we’re reinventing the customer experience. It’s a win-win solution that fosters a deeper, more emotional connection between brands and their clients.”
Several companies in jewellery, watchmaking, and leather goods, including those connected to a major luxury group, are introducing the service. By the end of 2025, nearly 200,000 luxury items will be covered.