FWU - Forward You

FWU – Forward You (FWU) is a European multinational financial services group founded in 1983 by Dr Manfred Dirrheimer. Its parent company, FWU AG, is headquartered in Munich, Germany. The group's core activities are unit-linked life insurance and financial services, distributed through a multi-distribution model across Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The company began as a research association, the Forschungsgesellschaft für Wettbewerb- und Unternehmensorganisation (FWU), before shifting to insurance in 1991 with the founding of FWU Factoring. In 1994 it became independent and launched its first unit-linked life insurance products in Luxembourg and Germany. FWU expanded into Austria, France (1997), Italy (2006), Spain (2014) and Belgium (2017), and into Islamic finance with Takaful products from 2003, followed by offices in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Malaysia and Pakistan. On 25 November 2016, FWU rebranded as Forward You, uniting its holding of 25 groups, including Atlanticlux Lebensversicherungen S.A. and Skandia Lebensversicherung Österreich AG. By 2019 the group served 500,000 clients in Germany, Spain, Italy, France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Austria, with over €8 billion in insured sums. FWU employs around 500 staff, about 20% in IT, and is majority family-owned, with Swiss Re Europe S.A. holding a stake. In 2024, FWU AG filed for insolvency at the Munich district court due to overindebtedness, and its subsidiary FWU Life Insurance Lux SA informed the Luxembourg regulator CAA that it no longer met solvency capital requirements. The case affected some 30,000 life insurance contracts in France.

FWU was founded in 1983 by Dr Manfred Dirrheimer, who left his university professorship to create the Forschungsgesellschaft für Wettbewerb- und Unternehmensorganisation (FWU), a research association for competition and business organisation. After years of consulting, in 1991 FWU changed its business model to found its own insurance company, FWU Factoring. In 1994 FWU became an independent company, breaking away from its founding entity. It designed investment fund products for European life insurance companies and launched its first unit-linked life insurance product in Luxembourg and Germany. FWU Life Austria launched one of the first modern unit-linked life insurance products marketed by the group in Austria, then in France in 1997. In 1999, FWU's parent company FWU AG acquired the Luxembourg insurance company FWU Life Lux, formerly Atlanticlux, and established FWU Invest, which today manages assets of €2 billion. FWU also developed e-avis, the first online underwriting system, a precursor to FILOS. In 2003, FWU shifted from expertise-based investment decisions to quantitative technology and launched its first Takaful product fully compliant with Islamic Sharia law. In 2005, FWU expanded globally, notably to the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait with FWU Takaful. In 2006, FWU entered Italy, which remains its fastest-growing market and largest client base. In 2007, FWU expanded to the UAE and Malaysia through FWU Dubai Services GmbH and FWU Malaysia Sdn Bhd, while the bancassurance model gained traction in Europe. In 2009, FWU entered the Pakistani market. In 2014, building a strong partner network, the company launched its guaranteed fund products in Spain, which remains its second-largest market after Italy. In 2015, FWU AG became the sole shareholder of Atlanticlux Lebensversicherung S.A. With this acquisition of portfolios and entities, FWU significantly grew its employees, clients and assets. Following the acquisition of the former Skandia Austria by FWU AG, the company gained 65,000 additional clients. On 25 November 2016, FWU became Forward You, uniting the brand of its holding of 25 groups, combining Atlanticlux Lebensversicherungen S.A. with Skandia Lebensversicherung Österreich AG and 23 companies of the former FWU group. In 2017, FWU expanded to the Belgian market. Its Luxembourg subsidiary FWU Life Lux has offered 100% paperless life insurance solutions since 2017 via digital signature on tablet, through its all-in-one advisory and distribution platform FILOS. From 2017 to 2019, FWU participated in the brokerage fair 'Journées du courtage' in Paris. FWU also participated in the 'Rendez-vous du courtage' in Marseille on 17 June 2021. In 2018, FWU launched the latest version of FILOS, its own compartmentalised UCITS fund, and the Forward Quant product based on quantitative technology. These apparently gained approval from clients and distribution partners, with prestigious awards (e.g., FWU Group: best unit-linked product portfolio for Europe in 2018, according to CFI). In 2019, FWU had 500,000 clients in Germany, Spain, Italy, France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Austria, with insured sums exceeding €8 billion. That same year, FWU launched its PER product in France, in accordance with the PACTE law. In April 2020, during COVID-19 lockdown, FWU launched its new Remote Sales Solution (RSS) in France and Belgium, allowing partner brokers to underwrite contracts without physical presence during client meetings. In 2021, FWU launched a new version of its product, Forward Quant MV, in Belgium. Today, FWU employs nearly 500 staff, about 20% in IT, making it a medium-sized business group. The majority of FWU AG is family-owned, with Swiss Re Europe S.A. holding a stake. In 2024, according to an article in Le Figaro dated 7 August 2024, 'In France, 30,000 life insurance contracts put at risk by the failure of a Luxembourg insurer': the insurance holding company FWU AG, sole shareholder of FWU Life Insurance Lux SA, filed a declaration of insolvency with the Munich district court due to overindebtedness. The subsidiary FWU Life Insurance Lux SA informed the CAA that it no longer met the required solvency capital requirement and minimum capital requirement, according to a regulator statement dated 19 July.

• 2024

  FWU AG filed for insolvency in Munich; FWU Life Insurance Lux SA reported solvency capital shortfall to CAA.

• 2021

  Launched Forward Quant MV in Belgium; participated in Rendez-vous du courtage in Marseille.

• 2020

  Launched Remote Sales Solution (RSS) in France and Belgium during COVID-19 lockdown.

• 2019

  Reached 500,000 clients and over €8 billion in insured sums; launched PER product in France.

• 2018

  Launched latest FILOS version, own UCITS fund, and Forward Quant product; won CFI award for best unit-linked product portfolio in Europe.

• 2017

  Expanded to Belgium; FWU Life Lux began offering 100% paperless life insurance via FILOS.

• 2016

  On 25 November, rebranded as Forward You, uniting 25 group companies.

• 2015

  FWU AG became sole shareholder of Atlanticlux Lebensversicherung S.A.; acquired Skandia Austria, adding 65,000 clients.

• 2014

  Launched guaranteed fund products in Spain.

• 2009

  Entered the Pakistani market.

• 2007

  Expanded to UAE and Malaysia via FWU Dubai Services GmbH and FWU Malaysia Sdn Bhd.

• 2006

  Entered the Italian market.

• 2005

  Expanded to UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait with FWU Takaful.

• 2003

  Shifted to quantitative investment technology; launched first Sharia-compliant Takaful product.

• 1999

  FWU AG acquired FWU Life Lux (formerly Atlanticlux) and established FWU Invest; developed e-avis online underwriting system.

• 1997

  Entered the French market.

• 1994

  Became an independent company; launched first unit-linked life insurance product in Luxembourg and Germany.

• 1991

  Changed business model to found its own insurance company, FWU Factoring.

• 1983

  Founded by Dr Manfred Dirrheimer as Forschungsgesellschaft für Wettbewerb- und Unternehmensorganisation (FWU).

A medium-sized, family-owned European insurance group focused on unit-linked life insurance and innovative digital distribution.

• Unit-linked life insurance

• Forward Quant

• FILOS platform

• e-avis

• RSS (Remote Sales Solution)

• Takaful insurance

• PER (Plan d'Épargne Retraite)

1. 1FWU - Forward You on Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2Forward You on French Wikipediafr.wikipedia.org