Swiss Re integrates Fathom data into its internal view of flood risk
Fathom’s scientifically validated flood hazard and terrain data are now being integrated into Swiss Re’s internal catastrophe model, strengthening the reinsurance leader’s view of global flood risk.
Since Swiss Re’s acquisition of Fathom in December 2023, joint teams have worked to expand and align key Fathom datasets to support next-generation flood modeling. Current integration work includes building 50,000-year probabilistic flood event sets that use AI-enhanced climate models to capture more extreme outcomes and remove historical biases. The new models will also embed FathomDEM+, Fathom’s advanced global terrain dataset, to improve accuracy across multiple geographies.
With Fathom’s high-fidelity flood models already active within the Swiss Re Risk Data Solutions product suite, ongoing joint development is advancing the systematic incorporation of Fathom data across Swiss Re’s underwriting and portfolio management activities, unlocking a diverse range of risk assessment tools for both insurance and corporate clients.
Nearly half of the world’s landmass — home to an estimated four billion people — is currently exposed to flood-related hazards, underscoring the growing importance of decision-grade flood risk data¹.
“Swiss Re’s use of our data within its internal catastrophe model development demonstrates how critical peer-reviewed science and validated flood data are to understanding risk at a global scale.
We’re proud to be working closely with Swiss Re to help communities and economies better prepare for and manage extreme flood events.”
– Stuart Whitfield, CEO of Fathom.
“Combining Fathom’s flood hazard capabilities with Swiss Re’s catastrophe modelling and underwriting expertise enables us to push flood risk modelling further,”
– Balz Grollimund, Head of Cat Perils at Swiss Re.
Founded in 2013 at the University of Bristol, Fathom has grown into a leading provider of global flood risk intelligence, with its data used by many of the world’s largest insurers, financial institutions and engineering organizations.
Notes to editors
¹ McKinsey Global Institute, Advancing adaptation: Mapping costs from cooling to coastal defenses (December 11, 2025)
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See how insurers use Fathom’s data
Founded in 2013, Fathom gives risk management professionals the most scientifically robust tools and intelligence to understand the climate’s impact on water risk. By publishing cutting-edge peer-reviewed academic research and applying it to real-world challenges, Fathom powers better decision-making for (re)insurance, civil engineering, corporate risk, financial markets, disaster response and government. Fathom’s dedicated team of scientists harness their passion for innovation and the environment to develop rigorous catastrophe models and comprehensive mapping and geospatial data that make a real-world difference to customers and communities worldwide.
Fathom is now (as of December 2023) part of Swiss Re, one of the world’s leading providers of reinsurance, insurance and other forms of insurance-based risk transfer, working to make the world more resilient. Learn more >
For Fathom media enquiries contact Fathom’s press team: [email protected].
As of December 2023, we are now part of Swiss Re. The Swiss Re Group is one of the world’s leading providers of reinsurance, insurance and other forms of insurance-based risk transfer, working to make the world more resilient. It anticipates and manages risk – from natural catastrophes to climate change, from aging populations to cybercrime.
The aim of the Swiss Re Group is to enable society to thrive and progress, creating new opportunities and solutions for its clients. Headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, where it was founded in 1863, the Swiss Re Group operates through a network of around 80 offices globally.
Together, we are working to accelerate the development and delivery of world-leading solutions that will break through to new levels of risk resilience against water perils, providing greater value for all.
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