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ACORD Announces Winner of the 2025 Student Challenge for AI in Insurance

On December 11, 2025, ACORD, the Association for Cooperative Operations Research and Development, proudly announced the results of the first-ever ACORD Student Challenge. This unique national competition invited university students to leverage state-of-the-art technology to improve insurance processes through data optimization.

This year’s challenge focused on using artificial intelligence (AI) to compile and analyze critical data fields necessary for underwriting pet insurance—a rapidly expanding market that exceeded $21 billion globally in 2024 and is projected to grow by 12% annually. Contestants were tasked with creating a standardized list of essential data fields, which serves as a foundational step in delivering structured data for an emerging business sector.

The participants provided innovative solutions that utilized AI tools to produce structured datasets crucial for insurance underwriting. The grand prize was awarded to Manasa Ramaka, a graduate student pursuing a Master of Science in Business Analytics and Project Management at the University of Connecticut. Ramaka earned a cash prize of $5,000 for her creative approach that included using Large Language Models (LLMs) to both generate necessary data fields and validate the existing data from five leading pet insurance carriers. This systematic methodology highlights the potential of AI in transforming data handling within the insurance sector.

The ACORD Student Challenge included complex tasks related to data architecture, prompt engineering, and process documentation. Each contestant presented an in-depth explanation of their methodologies and results, demonstrating their capacity to apply AI tools in crafting organized data sets of underwriting inputs.

The projects submitted in this competition are not just academic exercises; they are instrumental in shaping the future of ACORD Data Standards. These standards facilitate efficient data exchange, analytics, AI integration, and real-time digital data transmission throughout the global insurance value chain.

In addition to Ramaka’s achievement, two runners-up also distinguished themselves in this competition. Rutendo Mahanzu, another graduate student from the University of Connecticut, and Pramod Misra, a graduate researcher from the Georgia Institute of Technology, were awarded $2,000 each. Mahanzu employed AI programs to extract data from existing ACORD Forms related to other insurance policies, such as homeowners and auto, to generate pertinent data fields necessary for pet insurance underwriting. Meanwhile, Misra crafted a custom AI agent that utilized multiple LLMs to analyze form templates, carrier practices, published underwriting manuals, and regulatory documents to categorize insurance data effectively.

In recognition of their remarkable contributions, all three finalists will benefit from passes to ACORD Connect 2026 and a year of mentorship with a seasoned industry professional, providing them with further opportunities to refine their skills and career prospects.

Malou Soriano, SVP and Global Chief Officer of Education, Consulting, and Advocacy at ACORD, expressed her excitement about the competition's outcomes, stating, "We congratulate all of our finalists on their significant achievements. Their innovative utilization of AI tools to structure insurance data exemplifies the potential to advance the development of ACORD Standards and enhance the flow of information within the global insurance ecosystem."

ACORD serves as a globally recognized standards-setting body for the insurance and financial services industries, engaging with thousands of organizations worldwide to facilitate rapid, accurate data exchange. With a commitment to developing electronic standards and tools, ACORD enhances workflows for insurance companies, agents, brokers, and software providers across more than 100 countries.

For more information, visit www.acord.org.