Skaraz Data · independent calculation agent
The index your policy pays on, calculated by someone with nothing to sell you.
I define, build and independently check the index a parametric policy pays on, from public satellite and reanalysis data. Every number traces to a dataset, a version and a hash.
Stéphane Karasiewicz, principal. Engineering and calculation, not actuarial sign-off.
Proof of concept on public data, not a live policy. Hover the chart to read any week. Read the full calculation report →
Contracts call this role
- Calculation agent
- Settlement services
- Independent third party
- Trigger verification
What I do
Define, build, test, calculate.
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1 · Define
An index you can write a policy on
Trigger, data source, fallback and calculation written so they fit the policy wording.
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2 · Build
A pipeline on public data
Input checks and a content hash at every stage, so the calculation can be rerun and checked.
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3 · Test
Backtest and basis risk
Against documented losses where they exist; where no loss record exists, I say so.
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4 · Calculate
The event report
Index value, tier, payout, sources, dataset versions and hashes, on time.
Why independent
Most triggers are calculated by the party that sells the product or carries the risk.
- No risk carried. Skaraz Data is a calculation and engineering provider, never an insurer or an MGA.
- Nothing else to sell. No product, no data resale, no fee linked to the payout amount.
- Method on the table. Every report states its sources, versions and limits.
- Engineering and calculation, not actuarial sign-off.
Who it is for
Pick the seat you sit in.
You write parametric cover and need the trigger computed, or checked, by someone outside the deal.
What you need
- An index computed exactly as the policy wording defines it
- A payout report your reinsurer can read and rerun
- A backtest that shows basis risk before you sell
You fund or run a risk-transfer programme and need triggers and payouts verified independently, often in French-speaking countries.
What you need
- An independent check from someone with no product and no risk capacity to sell
- Satellite data where ground stations are thin
- Reports in English and French
Where to start
See the calculation agent rolecalculation agent, or pipeline support and independent verification
You structure or place parametric deals and want a second opinion on the index, the backtest and the data before signing.
What you need
- An independent read on basis risk
- A check that the code follows the policy wording
- An independent recalculation if the primary calculator’s result is disputed
Offer
Published prices, so you can budget before the first call.
Most work starts with a fixed-price audit or a short paid scoping. The run services follow once an index exists.
| Service | Price, excl. VAT |
|---|---|
| Trigger audit, or design and feasibility Fixed scope, about two weeks. Index, data sources, backtest, basis risk, written findings. | from EUR 6,000 |
| Paid scoping Two to three days to frame a new index before committing to a build. | day rate |
| Onboarding: one index Index definition written for the wording, pipeline, backtest, methodology report. | from EUR 10,000 |
| Pipeline support and independent verification Your pipeline, your servers; I maintain it and check results against the contract. | from EUR 8,000 / yr |
| Calculation agent I run the calculation and issue the event report the payout follows. Available about six weeks after signature. | from EUR 12,000 / yr |
| Retainer Ongoing support, scoped by deliverables. | from EUR 2,000 / month |
| Day rate Tenders, subcontracts, short missions. | EUR 800 to 1,000 |
Fixed-price work: 30 to 50% on signature. Contracts are non-exclusive. No fee linked to the payout amount. Engineering and calculation, not actuarial sign-off.
Showcase
Five calculations on public data, limits named.
Each one runs the full chain: data, checks, index, trigger, payout, audit trail. They are proofs of concept, not live policies, and every report says where the method stops.
Rainfall indices: CHIRPS v2 production ends after December 2026; new work uses CHIRPS v3.
Method
Six steps, the same every time, all of it written down.
The method is open: every report shows its sources, dataset versions and hashes, so a counterparty can check each step.
- 01
Data in
Sources named in the contract (NOAA, ERA5, IMERG, Sentinel). Pulled on schedule, with the fallback source agreed in advance.
- 02
Checks
Every input checked for coverage, units, gaps and known dataset defects. Every file hashed.
- 03
Index
The index exactly as the policy wording defines it. The same code runs the backtest and the live calculation.
- 04
Trigger
Tested against the payout ladder, cell by cell or district by district.
- 05
Payout
A payout report for each cell: value, tier, amount and the data used.
- 06
Audit trail
Every figure traced to input hashes and code version. A rerun gives the same answer.
Continuity, as it stands today
What exists, and what is set up per contract.
- A documented method, the same for every calculation.
- An input check and a content hash at each stage of the pipeline.
- Reports that can be rerun from their stated inputs and code version.
- Hosted calculation is set up per contract, about six weeks after signature.
Who calculates
Two years inside a parametric insurtech’s production pipelines.
Senior data scientist at Raincoat, a parametric insurtech, from February 2024 to January 2026. I ran the satellite and reanalysis data layer for every peril except hurricane wind and earthquake.
“You could hand him a complex project and trust him to run with it, communicate clearly along the way, and deliver something that genuinely moved the needle for the company.”
Start with your trigger.
Send the peril, region, data you use and your deadline. You get a fixed scope and price before any commitment.