EEBIC: What is Sinistra?
Christophe Salliet : Sinistra is a company specialized in defending disaster victims. Founded in 2021, our primary mission is to assist insured Belgians when they encounter difficulties after a home disaster: water damage, fire, explosion, storm, flood, natural disaster, drought, burglary, theft, vandalism, dry rot, and all other types of damage that can affect a home. A disaster victim usually calls on Sinistra in two situations: a refusal of compensation or a compensation offer deemed insufficient. To do this, we use counter-expertise, an essential tool that allows consumers to defend their interests. When an insured person feels wronged by their insurer’s decision, they can call on our experts. Our main goal is to make insurance disputes accessible to all citizens.
EEBIC: How do your expertise and counter-expertise services stand out in the home disaster sector?
Christophe Salliet : Our approach is distinguished primarily by our desire to simplify the concept of counter-expertise. Although counter-expertise services have existed for years in Belgium, we found that many consumers did not clearly understand what it entailed. Often perceived as a tedious and risky administrative process in terms of the relationship with the insurer, counter-expertise often raises concerns among disaster victims. We have therefore worked to make this procedure simple, understandable, and risk-free in their relationship with their insurance company. Assistance by a counter-expert, also known as a policyholder’s expert, is provided for in home insurance contracts, which encourages policyholders to use this service at the time of the disaster.
Moreover, we commit to providing a first opinion within 48 hours, completely free of charge and without obligation, including the analysis of the client’s contracts and the examination of the disaster. Additionally, we have implemented an optimized four-step process, allowing simplified and fair management for all disaster victims.
EEBIC: What type of support or resources provided by EEBIC have been particularly valuable for your development?
Christophe Salliet : First of all, the provision of quality premises has greatly facilitated our daily operations. Additionally, the ideally located EEBIC gives us easy access to Brussels, Wallonia, and Flanders. This geographical proximity is a major asset for our company, allowing us to save considerable time during our expertise trips.
Finally, EEBIC’s network offers us invaluable networking opportunities and connects us with funds and potential investors for fundraising projects.
EEBIC: What are the next steps for Sinistra, and how do you plan to continue innovating in the insurance sector?
Christophe Salliet : After successfully defending several thousand insured people, we are about to reach a cumulative turnover of one million euros this year. Our plans include expanding our activities to cover the Flanders region this year, followed by launching our expansion into France in 2025. This represents a crucial step that will require significant recruitment. We are looking for talents who share our strong conviction: to protect consumers with determination in the field of insurance.