Wefox launched in Switzerland late last year, secured a license in Poland, and is eyeing Italy, for instance. Meanwhile, US insurtech giant Lemonade just expanded to Germany, the Netherlands, and France, while Sweden-based Hedvig secured its pan-EU license last week. These players’ continued growth mirrors the insurtech market in the US last year, which led to a flurry of IPOs.

Smart TVs saw a similar jump, as ownership in Romania rose from 51.0% in H1 2019 to 56.3% in H1 2020—surpassing the level in Poland, for example. By comparison, smartwatches posted only modest takeup, owned by 14.9% of the online population in 2020. Penetration was appreciably higher among males (18.5%), respondents 35 to 44 (19.6%), and those in affluent households (20.9%).