Female Founder Friday: In Conversation with Yvette Percival, Founder of Button

This week’s Female Founder Friday is one for the books—grit, reinvention, insurance innovation and a whole lot of Northern charm. I, FC, had the pleasure of chatting with Yvette Percival, CEO & Founder of Button, a motor insurance startup making waves with its data-led, safety-first model. From breaking into banking without a degree to founding multiple businesses and rallying the team when the going gets tough, Yvette’s story is a blueprint in resilience and authenticity. Let’s dive in.

FC: Yvette, thanks so much for joining us! Could you start by giving us a snapshot of your professional journey?

YP: I left school at 16—didn’t go to university—and landed my first job in The City. I joined Morgan Stanley, working in M&A in the media, telecom, and technology team (TMT). It was a hot sector at the time, and with a lot of hard work, I quickly climbed the ranks. Four years later, I joined Deutsche Bank as part of a team move to establish the DMG Technology Group and two years later, I left Deutsche Bank for Goldman Sachs as part of another team move.

I was then headhunted by an executive search firm who were keen to leverage my relationships with senior bankers in the TMT sector. I actually really enjoyed the work and eventually co-founded a boutique financial services executive search firm. When my second child was born, I decided to take a career break to spend time with the children. However, that didn’t last long as I just wasn’t cut out to be a stay-at-home mum and was driving my husband mad, so I set up another business, this time focusing on the wealth management sector. I was retained by a large international wealth management firm to identify acquisition targets and recruit them into the business.

At the end of 2020, a colleague whom I had worked closely with at Morgan Stanley rang me—he’d set up a motor insurance startup and asked me to join him. I became COO and then interim CEO when he took some time off for health reasons. It was a tough time, but the team were incredibly supportive and we all pulled together.

When I left that business to set-up Button earlier this year, most of those team members decided to join me, and that’s how Button was born.

FC: What were some of the biggest lessons from that experience?

YP: Be transparent. If something isn’t working, don’t hide it and don’t be afraid to pivot. Sometimes it is difficult to make those tough decisions, so just be open and honest—with your team, investors and partners. If you are, they are more likely to support you.

I also learned a huge amount about governance when I was working on a regulatory application in Gibraltar. The process might feel frustrating at times, but it ensures you consider all aspects of the business and how it will operate - for me it was a good experience and I am pleased I did it.

FC: You mentioned most of your team is male. What’s it like leading in that environment?

YP: I have always worked in male-dominated spaces. Having worked in investment banking in the 1990’s, you had to hold your own. Some of the antics and banter that happened then just wouldn’t be allowed now. However, I just handled it with humour and I never took myself too seriously, and I think that probably helped.

The team at Button are great. We have complimentary skill sets, understand each other’s strengths and weaknesses and also try to have some fun. On a day to day basis, I really don’t think anyone cares about gender. As long as we work well together and are respectful, I think that’s all that matters.

There are a lot of amazing women working in the insurance industry—strong, capable and well respected. It might seem male-dominated from the outside, but I have always found it to be an inclusive and respectful environment.

FC: Let’s talk Button. What’s the big idea behind it?

YP: Button is a new motor insurance venture. Our aim is to offer more affordable car insurance to good drivers and reward responsible driving behaviour. Some drivers pay substantially more for their car insurance simply because they live in a challenging area or postcode. High premiums lead to more motorists driving without insurance and if they’re caught, it will end up with a criminal conviction, not to mention the bad outcome if they are involved in an accident or badly injure someone.

We have identified areas across the UK where we believe we can help. Using driving data from a mobile phone and/or telematics device in the car we can identify good drivers, offer cheaper motor insurance products and reward responsible and safe driving behaviour.

We’re starting in Manchester and plan to expand to other areas across the UK, such as Bradford, Birmingham, and London. We are currently developing our own app which includes a drive score and a reward system—these could be monetary rewards such as gift vouchers, carbon credits or they can be used to support a local community initiative. We’re big on community underwriting: drivers who are referred by an employer or affinity group are less likely to commit fraud, which means lower risk for us and better pricing for everyone.

FC: What makes Button stand out in a crowded market?

YP: We’re rolling out AI via a GenAI assistant within the app. This means we don’t ask questions we already know the answers to. Using Agentic AI we can provide the same high-end customer onboarding experience to that of registering a claim where customers are fully notified on all aspects of the digital journey. All customer engagement and communication can be done via our app.

If there’s a crash, our device detects it, analyses the G-force and impact location, and triggers the right response.

We also use crash data to fight fraudulent claims. If someone says four people were in the car and they all have whiplash but we have data showing otherwise, we can challenge it. Having fewer fraudulent claims reduces insurer costs, which translates into cheaper premiums for customers. It’s all about responsible driving. If that’s you, then we want to insure you.

FC: It sounds genuinely disruptive. Are you facing any friction or perception challenges?

YP: The main challenge will be around the in-car device. In the past, these devices have been used mostly for young drivers sometimes with curfews and restrictions which all sounds very negative. We want to change the narrative and make this a really positive experience.

If you’re paying £1,500 for insurance and we can bring that down significantly and offer rewards, and give the insured an outstanding customer journey via our app with a fast and efficient claims process in the event of an accident—well, that’s a good thing, isn’t it?

FC: What’s next for Button? Any partnerships or updates to shout about?

YP: We’re engaging with local councils, community leaders and safe driving organisations across the UK. Greater Manchester, our launch city, has a great network, and we’re working on being part of that. There’s a buzz—we’re doing things differently and people are intrigued. It’s amazing the amount of support and encouragement we are receiving.

FC: How’s the fundraising going so far?

YP: Fundraising is never easy but we have just closed our first fundraising round and having received Advance Assurance for the SEIS/EIS scheme, our investors have been able to take advantage of that.

We are in discussions with both angel investors and a VC fund regarding our next raise and remain open to new conversations. It is important to me that our investors understand the insurance model. It’s not like selling a physical product—it’s a highly regulated environment, which requires a staged approach. It’s about quality over quantity in the first year. If you can offer an outstanding product and do it well, then both the Regulator and our investors will be very happy.

FC: Finally, what advice would you give to women thinking about becoming founders?

YP: Just go for it. There’s so much support out there now. Remember that you don’t need to be an expert on everything—build a trusted team with experience and complementary skills. Investors invest in the team as much as the idea.

It’s hard work, there’s no sugar-coating it. I am constantly thinking about how we can improve the customer journey, do things differently, be an insurer for good etc. and it can be all-consuming.

However, don’t sit and stew if something is not going to plan—go for a walk, clear your head, then come back to it. And above all, keep communication lines open—listen to your team, your investors, your partners. Be honest, be transparent, and people will back you.

Yvette is proof that entrepreneurial spirit doesn’t have to come from a degree or a pitch deck—it comes from resilience, integrity, and a vision for doing things better. With Button, she’s taking on an industry many of us begrudge, and turning it into something fair, tech-driven, and human.

Website:
Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yvette-percival-b75623/
Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/magellan-group-uk/about/

Author: Gideon Stott, Digital Marketing Executive at FounderCatalyst