Duck Creek Kicks Off Formation '26 as Strong Fiscal Momentum Signals Accelerating Demand for its Intelligent Core Insurance Platform

Company highlights double-digit SaaS growth, global expansion, and launch of its new agentic AI platform as industry leaders gather in Orlando

BOSTON, April 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Duck Creek Technologies, the intelligent core of insurance, today kicks off Formation '26: Agents of Innovation, its flagship user conference, as the company builds strong momentum in the first half of fiscal 2026, marked by double-digit year-over-year SaaS ARR growth fueled by new logos and expansion across its global customer base.

Duck Creek's strong start to fiscal 2026 reflects this demand, with double-digit new customer wins and existing customer expansions across its core, specialty, and AI-powered solutions. Adoption of Duck Creek's intelligent cloud continues to scale globally. Insurers are selecting Duck Creek for its enterprise depth including policy, billing, claims, rating, loss control, reinsurance, distribution management, and payments solutions to operate faster, more accurately, and maintain regulatory compliance.

"We are expanding our leadership in insurance technology with more than 370 customers globally. Including 33 of the top 50 North American insurers," said Hardeep Gulati, Chief Executive Officer of Duck Creek. "Insurers modernizing their core systems are looking for more from their technology. They need a trusted partner like Duck Creek with proven enterprise scale and speed-to-value to help them drive profitable impact and growth. At Formation, we are excited to announce our new agentic platform that will help further improve the combined ratios for insurers with more than $150B in premium flowing through Duck Creek annually."

Formation '26 will bring together more than 800 insurance professionals, ecosystem partners, and industry leaders to explore how technology is transforming the insurance lifecycle. The event underscores growing market demand for intelligent, cloud-native platforms that enable insurers to accelerate cloud migration, product development, and automate core insurance workflows to accelerate decision-making and improve operational agility. A highlight of the event will be Duck Creek unveiling its agentic AI platform and showcasing live demonstrations of agentic applications and agents.

Formation '26 will feature a distinguished lineup of guest speakers joining Gulati during his keynote, including Stephen Lord, Global CIO of AXIS Capital, and Monti Saroya, Senior Managing Director and Co-Head of the Flagship Fund at Vista Equity Partners. Together, they will share perspectives on large-scale transformation, AI adoption, and the future of agentic insurance.

The conference will also include a customer panel moderated by Chief Operating Officer Chris McCloskey, featuring leaders from Core Specialty, Europ Assistance, and Arbella Insurance, who will discuss their transformation journeys and business outcomes achieved through modern core systems. An analyst panel moderated by SVP of Sales William Magowan will bring together experts from AM Best, Celent, and Datos Insights to provide an external view on market trends and innovation benchmarks.

Customer Momentum

• Millers Mutual Insurance advanced its modernization strategy with Duck Creek OnDemand, implementing Policy, Billing, and Reinsurance Clarity to modernize its core systems and support continued growth in the multifamily housing insurance market.
• Anchor Group Management Inc. partnered with Duck Creek to modernize its insurance payments infrastructure, enabling more streamlined billing processes and improved digital payment experiences for policyholders.
• Frankenmuth Insurance adopted Duck Creek OnDemand Distribution Management to transform how it manages agencies and producers, increasing visibility, improving operational efficiency, and strengthening collaboration across its distribution network.
• Indigo Insurance turned to Duck Creek OnDemand to accelerate its modernization strategy and support rapid growth, gaining a scalable cloud-based core platform designed to bring new products to market faster.
• Encova Insurance went live on an upgraded Duck Creek OnDemand Distribution Management system, unifying agency operations across lines of business, streamlining onboarding, and improving the overall agent experience.
• New Zealand's Medical Assurance Society (MAS) selected Duck Creek's full suite of core solutions delivered via OnDemand to modernize its general insurance business, enhance member experiences, and support a broader digital and data-driven transformation.
• Country-Wide Insurance selected Duck Creek Clarity to strengthen its data and analytics capabilities, enabling real-time insights and preparing for its upcoming OnDemand go-live with Active Delivery.
• Fortegra selected Duck Creek Reinsurance and Duck Creek Clarity to modernize financial operations, improve portfolio transparency, and support continued growth across products, geographies, and distribution models.
• Duck Creek secured more than a dozen additional new customer engagements across commercial specialty and personal lines.

Industry Recognition

• Named a Leader in the 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant for SaaS P&C Insurance Core Platforms North America, marking the seventh consecutive year the company has been recognized as a Leader.
• Named a Leader in the Everest Group 2025 Underwriting Orchestration Products PEAK Matrix Assessment, recognizing Duck Creek's strength in delivering AI-driven underwriting, integrated core workflows, and measurable value across global P&C carriers.
• Featured in Everest Group's 2026 Voice of the Customer Report for Insurance CXOPs, outperforming both core system peers and the market average, with customers citing strengths in seamless implementation, deep core system integration, and enterprise scalability and more.
• Received the 2025 IDC FinTech Real Results Award for Insurance Transformation for measurable customer outcomes.

About Duck Creek

Duck Creek is the intelligent core that leading insurers choose to build on. Purpose-built for property and casualty (P&C) and general insurance, Duck Creek unifies the full insurance lifecycle on a single platform with one data foundation. As an agentic platform, it connects intelligence across underwriting, policy, billing, claims, and payments workflows where decisions are made and compliance is non-negotiable. Duck Creek enables carriers to launch products faster, adapt quickly to change, and grow with precision and confidence. Solutions are available individually or as a full suite via Duck Creek OnDemand. Visit www.duckcreek.com and follow Duck Creek on LinkedIn and X.

Media Contacts:  
Marianne Dempsey / Tara Stred  
duckcreek@threeringsinc.com

Logo - https://mma.prnasia.com/media2/2778773/Duck_Creek_Technologies_Logo_01.jpg?p=medium600

** This press release is distributed by PR Newswire through automated distribution system, for which the client assumes full responsibility. **

Duck Creek Kicks Off Formation '26 as Strong Fiscal Momentum Signals Accelerating Demand for its Intelligent Core Insurance Platform

Aerial creators from around the world push the boundaries of visual storytelling with nearly 95,000 submissions across 96 countries and regions

SHENZHEN, China, April 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- DJI, the global leader in civilian drones and creative camera technology, and SkyPixel, one of the world's most popular online communities for aerial photography and videography, today announced the winners of the 11th Annual SkyPixel Photo and Video Contest, one of the world's largest aerial imaging competitions. This year's edition attracted nearly 95,000 submissions from 96 countries and regions, reflecting the growing global community of creators using aerial and handheld imaging technology to tell powerful visual stories.

The winning works highlight exceptional technical mastery and artistic vision across both photography and video, demonstrating how aerial perspectives continue to redefine storytelling.

Annual Best Video Prize (Aerial)

In the Video Category, the Annual Best Video in the Aerial Category was awarded to Africa Unseen by ellisvanjason, a cinematic aerial epic that captures the raw beauty and untamed spirit of Africa's landscapes and wildlife.

To create the film, the creator journeyed deep into the African wilderness using a comprehensive suite of DJI imaging tools, including DJI Action 5 Pro, Avata 2, Inspire 3, Mavic 3 Pro, Ronin 4D, RS 4 Pro, and DJI Focus Pro. Drawing from over 35TB of cinematic-grade 8K footage, he distilled years of filmmaking expertise, documentary experience, and personal passion into a tightly crafted seven-minute visual narrative.

The creator described the project as his final large-scale "passion piece," choosing to conclude this chapter of his creative journey at his peak. Every frame reflects a deliberate commitment to storytelling and technical excellence. Sweeping desert vistas, vast grasslands, and dramatic canyons unfold with rich cinematic texture, while immersive FPV sequences place viewers alongside wildlife in motion — running, soaring, and interacting in their natural environment.

Judges praised both the artistic vision and technical execution. Zeng Jian noted the film's "precise composition and strong visual control," highlighting its high level of professionalism. Ryan Hosking commended the "beautiful color work and excellent use of DJI technology," emphasizing how consistent camera movement and shot design create a distinctive visual style while clearly conveying the story. Benjamin Hardman described the piece as "one of the most cinematic works in the competition," applauding its color, composition, and narrative impact.^[1]

Annual Best Video Prize (Handheld)

In the Handheld Category, Elsewhere The Gaze Can Always Arrive by AYANG received top honors for its poetic narrative and seamless integration of aerial and ground footage.Judge Ryan Hosking commented, "Great use of a variety of shots and composition to help tell the story well. A great uniform look makes the piece feel complete." Judge Benjamin Harman also praised the work, stating: "Beautiful storyline and creative shot types used to create visuals that draw you in. I love the mix of tight and wide shots."

Annual Best Photo Prize

In the Photography Category, the Annual Best Photo award was presented to Filip Hrebenda for The Gate, a striking composition that blends natural framing, atmospheric fog, and human scale into a compelling narrative of exploration and solitude. Judge Daniel Kordan noted that the image features a clean and well-balanced composition with rare environmental conditions that create a unique and unforgettable scene. Judge Jiang Ping added that the interplay of light, shadow, and mist builds a powerful sense of depth and harmony between human presence and nature. Judge Jake Guzman also shared his admiration for the piece: "The rock bridge acts as a powerful focal point, with the lone subject adding scale. The mist beautifully softens the background peaks, creating depth and separation while maintaining a cohesive tone."

Among the Annual Top 10 Photo winners, F. Dilek Yurdakul's Carpet Fields impressed judges with its rhythmic repetition and cultural storytelling. Daniel Kordan praised the strong use of pattern and scale, while Jiang Ping described the scene as calm and harmonious, reflecting the dignity of labor. Zhu Jiong added that the composition transforms the landscape into a vivid and symbolic red sea.

Daniel's Smoking Skull captured a rare volcanic moment with remarkable precision. Daniel Kordan noted the excellent timing and natural formation of the skull shape, while Jiang Ping emphasized the symbolic power and rarity of the scene. Zhu Jiong described the image as surreal and theatrical, revealing the hidden character of nature through aerial perspective.

Other notable winning videos included NO BORDERS FROM ABOVE by Michael Putzer, which uses aerial imagery to convey themes of unity and peace, Eden After by KM DC, which blends land art with environmental reflection, and UNLIMITED The Perfect Ride by David Karg, which captures the energy of extreme sports through dynamic cinematography.

For the complete list of winners, please visit: www.skypixel.com/contests/2025. All awarded entries will enter a public review period. Should you have any inquiries regarding the competition or the entries under review, please email the official competition address at: skypixel.campaign@dji.com.

[1] The production strictly adhered to all applicable local laws and regulations and was conducted with on-set oversight. No animals were harmed or disturbed in the making of this film.

^[1] The production strictly adhered to all applicable local laws and regulations and was conducted with on-set oversight. No animals were harmed or disturbed in the making of this film.

About SkyPixel

Founded in 2014, SkyPixel is a leading global community for aerial photographers and videographers. The platform has over 55 million registered users and hosts thousands of aerial images and videos uploaded daily around the world. To date, the Sky Pixel Contest has received over 500,000 submissions from more than 140 countries and regions worldwide. For more info, please visit https://www.skypixel.com.

About DJI

Since 2006, DJI has led the world with civilian drone innovations that have empowered individuals to take flight for the first time, visionaries to turn their imagination into reality, and professionals to transform their work entirely. Today, DJI serves to build a better world by continuously promoting human advancement. With a solution-oriented mindset and genuine curiosity, DJI has expanded its ambitions into areas such as renewable energy, agriculture, public safety, surveying and mapping, and infrastructure inspection. In every application, DJI products deliver experiences that add value to lives around the world in more profound ways than ever before.

Please also visit our official DJI channels:
Website: dji.com
Online Store: store.dji.com
Facebook: facebook.com/DJI
Instagram: instagram.com/DJIGlobal
X: x.com/DJIGlobal 
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/dji
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: youtube.com/DJI

** This press release is distributed by PR Newswire through automated distribution system, for which the client assumes full responsibility. **

DJI Celebrates Global Creativity in 11th Annual SkyPixel Photo and Video Contest