From Paper to Digital: The Future of Insurance Certificates

In this episode of Insurance Technology AMPlified, I dive into the transformative world of insurance tech with Peter Teresi from Certificial. We explore how Certificial is revolutionizing certificate management, making it synonymous with seamless, data-driven processes. Pete shares his journey from a tech background to becoming a pivotal figure in the insurance industry, emphasizing the importance of creating an interconnected ecosystem. We discuss the challenges of traditional workflows and the need for innovative solutions like smart COIs. Join us as we uncover how Certificial is bridging the gap between the insurance industry and other sectors, enhancing operational efficiency and client service. Tune in to discover how technology is reshaping the insurance landscape and what it means for agents and carriers.

Transcript:

Intro
Welcome to Insurance Technology Amplified, the podcast where we explore how innovation is transforming the insurance industry. This is the place where technology and expertise come together to empower agents, carriers, and the industry alike. Thank you for tuning in. Now let’s get to the show.
Michael: Okay, so welcome everyone to the Momentum Amplify podcast.
I love how when I say that, I feel like I’m so important—but I’m probably kidding myself because I don’t know who the bloody hell is listening. I say it all the time. But if you’re listening, do me a favor: email me at michael@momentumap.com. I’d love to know who’s out there.
Our guest today is someone I’ve known for a very long time and have tremendous respect for: Pete Teresi from Certificial.
When you’re in an industry as vast and deep as insurance and you can build something that becomes the Band-Aid or Q-Tip-style brand associated with a workflow, you know you’ve accomplished something. Maybe not profitability or unicorn status, but certainly real brand recognition.
Pete and Certificial have done just that. They’ve become synonymous with the process of certificate management. And that’s coming from someone whose company used to be called NowCerts, because we were also pretty strong at certificate management. So, kudos to you, Pete, and welcome to Momentum Amplified.
Peter Teresi: Thank you. I appreciate those words.
Michael: Take a minute—tell our audience a little about your background. What brings you here today?
Peter Teresi: Well, my whole career has been based in technology. I’ve worked in the insurance industry for over 25 years, but always with a technology hat on.
Interestingly, I’ve always found myself in startup-like environments. For example, one of my very first jobs was at Microsoft. You’d think that’s a massive organization, but I didn’t even realize I was interviewing with Microsoft—I thought it was for MSNBC. Nobody knew what that was at the time. I ended up being one of the first employees, working out of a trailer in Fort Lee, New Jersey, before the studio opened in Secaucus.
Even with two huge organizations behind it, it felt like a startup. We were bringing some of the first broadcasting news online, which was incredible innovation. Later, I worked for a financial startup, which was acquired, and eventually made my way into insurance—again, always with a technology focus.
Most notably, I spent a long tenure with ACORD, where I really dove deep into the business of insurance—listening to agents, brokers, and carriers. I learned what worked, what didn’t, and what kept them up at night.
One thing that kept coming up over and over was the certificate of insurance (COI). Agents complained about losing clients due to poor SLA performance on certs, or about wanting to get rid of clients because cert requests were overwhelming. Some had entire offices—hundreds of people—dedicated solely to handling certs.
And here’s the kicker: the entire workflow doesn’t even achieve its true purpose. Certificate holders want proof of coverage, but they only receive point-in-time documents. So everyone in the process is burdened, and nobody’s really being served.
It was clear to me the system was fundamentally flawed. We couldn’t just bandaid it—we either had to get rid of certs or figure out how to do them right. That’s what led me to co-found Certificial.
We’re passionate about solving this problem in a truly innovative, transformative, end-to-end way. The workflow spans three different stakeholders—insureds, agents, and certificate holders. That fragmentation is why the process has been broken. Certificial exists to unify it.
Michael: That’s a perfect segue. At Momentum, one of our taglines is that we’re the first company with a true end-to-end solution. With our acquisition of TrustedChoice.com, we now deliver leads and referrals (the #1 thing agents ask for). We’ve got policy management in the AMS, pipeline management in the CRM, endorsements, downloads, renewals—and yes, certs.
For the first time, I believe one company can truly deliver A-to-Z.
Peter Teresi: And I commend you for that. The openness and willingness to partner is key. Momentum doesn’t need to do it all itself. By acquiring strategically and building an ecosystem, you deliver that full experience.
Historically, walls existed between systems. Everyone thought, “I can do it myself.” But that doesn’t work. It’s like a smartphone—you need the app ecosystem to unlock its power. Insurance is the same.
Michael: Exactly. And Certificial is a great example. Cert management was in our DNA. Our company name was NowCerts! But if you do it better, we welcome that. It improves the ecosystem.
Adam: I’ve got to ask—why not just get rid of certificates completely?
Peter Teresi: Great question. When we started prototyping, we did remove COIs from the workflow entirely. We asked: what’s actually necessary? If it’s data-driven, the form itself isn’t a problem. A certificate should only ever be a rendering of a point in time.
The problem is when we use documents as a method of data transmission. COIs are created from data, converted into PDFs, then OCR’d back into data. It starts as data and ends as data—but we’re stuck in an archaic workflow in between.
Michael: I remember when blockchain first came around, it seemed like a possible use case—shared ledgers proving real-time coverage. But adoption never came.
Peter Teresi: Exactly. Blockchain, or any stack, doesn’t solve the problem unless the process is data-driven. Dropping a COI into a blockchain doesn’t fix anything. You need real-time data tied to the source.
Michael: If you had to distill Certificial into a tweet, what’s your superpower?
Peter Teresi: At its core, we connect the insurance industry with external verticals—construction, transportation, property, you name it. We’re a network.
On one side, you have systems like Momentum. On the other, vendor management systems. We integrate both, so insurance data and requirements flow bi-directionally in real time.
For independent agents, this means three things:
1.    Better insights into clients and risks.
2.    Operational efficiency with full end-to-end automation (from request to issuance without touching a keyboard).
3.    Free access to best-in-class cert tech—because agents shouldn’t have to fund it. We monetize downstream with certificate holders and vendors.
Michael: What percentage of agents are using best-in-class cert tech?
Peter Teresi: Probably six or seven out of ten. The pain is universal, but larger agencies can bury the operational losses. Smaller agencies feel it harder.
The remaining three or four out of ten? Many are very small, sometimes without management systems, still doing things manually. Some believe they “don’t need it.” But I don’t think that mindset will last much longer. Five or ten years from now, static COIs won’t cut it.
Michael: So, change management is the real barrier.
Peter Teresi: Absolutely. And we learned quickly that onboarding and change management are critical. It’s not just training people on our system—it’s tailoring training to their workflows and showing them how to stop old habits that break automation.
Michael: Let’s talk about AI. How will it impact independent agents in the next few years?
Peter Teresi: Operational efficiency and client service are the big wins. Some people are getting ahead of themselves in terms of what’s possible today, but AI will be everywhere in a few years. Unlike blockchain, this isn’t a fad.
In our world, AI helps with legacy processes—reading endorsement documents, surfacing exclusions, extracting structured requirements from MSAs. It’s not the core automation (that’s systematic), but it augments it.
For example, if a trucking company lacks reefer breakdown coverage, AI can identify hundreds of jobs they’re missing out on. That’s incredibly valuable insight for both agents and insureds.
Michael: Pete, this has been fantastic. You’ve been one of our earliest partners, and this collaboration truly benefits independent agents. Certificial is free to Momentum users, and the integration is seamless.
Peter Teresi: Thank you. I appreciate the partnership. Momentum agents are well positioned to benefit, and I’m excited about the adoption we’re already seeing.
Michael: Likewise. Thanks, Pete.

Outro:
Thanks for listening to this episode of Insurance Technology Amplified. Stay connected and up to date by following Momentum Amp on all social networks. For show notes, resources, and details on upcoming episodes, visit our podcast page at momentumamp.com/podcast. We look forward to having you join us next time. Take care, and see you soon.