What Avid Insurance Services does

Avid Insurance Services is a London-based niche Managing General Agent (MGA) and multi-disciplined insurance intermediary founded in 2006, specializing in underwriting complex and underserved insurance markets across the UK and internationally. The company acts as a delegated underwriting and distribution platform, building technical specialty capacity in risk classes that mainstream carriers underserve.

Operationally, Avid has deployed Kalepa's Professional Grade AI underwriting platform — extended to the firm via Bishop Street Underwriters' group-wide partnership — to automate submission intake, triage risks, embed rating capabilities, and centralize risk-critical information across structured and text-based insurance data. The platform supports process automation, predictive risk analytics, and recommendation-driven underwriting decisions. There is no indication that Avid develops AI in-house; the capability is delivered through a third-party platform integrated into underwriting workflows.

On October 3, 2025, Avid Insurance was acquired by Bishop Street Underwriters, a RedBird Capital Partners portfolio company, marking Bishop Street's second UK MGA expansion that year. The firm continues to operate with its existing management team under co-founder and Managing Director Stephen Gibson, with John Inwood promoted to Chief Underwriting Officer at Bishop Street to oversee underwriting across Avid Insurance and Landmark Underwriting. Prior to the acquisition, Avid had received investment from Beech Tree Private Equity (August 2021) and acquired IIGL (March 2021) to extend its specialty footprint.

Name

Avid Insurance Services

Legal name

Avid Insurance Services

Website

https://avidinsurance.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Avid Insurance Services is a London-based niche Managing General Agent and insurance intermediary founded in 2006, underwriting complex and underserved specialty risks across the UK and international markets. The firm was acquired by Bishop Street Underwriters (RedBird Capital Partners) in October 2025.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Managing General Agent / Specialty Insurance Underwriting

NAICS

Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities (5242), Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (52421)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

Insurance Program Administration & MGA/MGU Services (FSAEADAK)

Keywords

• Managing general agent
• Specialty insurance underwriting
• Complex risk insurance
• Insurance intermediary services
• MGA underwriting solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Core offering

Avid Insurance Services operates as a London-based niche managing general agent (MGA) and multi-disciplined insurance intermediary, underwriting and administering specialty insurance policies in complex and underserved markets across the UK and internationally. The firm handles submission intake, risk triage, pricing/rating, and policy issuance on behalf of capacity providers, leveraging Kalepa's AI-powered underwriting platform to accelerate decision-making and improve portfolio performance.

Product overview

Avid Insurance Services is a London-based niche managing general agent (MGA) specializing in complex and underserved insurance markets. Founded in 2006 and acquired by Bishop Street Underwriters (a RedBird Capital Partners portfolio company) in October 2025, the company operates as part of Bishop Street's growing global portfolio. Avid Insurance leverages Kalepa's AI-powered Professional Grade AI platform for underwriting support, enabling automated submission intake, risk triage, rating capabilities, and centralized risk management across UK and international markets. The company continues to operate with its existing management team while benefiting from Bishop Street's platform connectivity and scalability.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Managing General Agent (MGA) Underwriting Services
• Multi-Disciplined Insurance Intermediary Services

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• KalepacoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2024Bishop Street Underwriters expanded its partnership with Kalepa to deploy the AI underwriting platform across its London-based MGAs, including Avid Insurance Services. The platform improves risk assessment, accelerates underwriting decisions, and enhances portfolio performance by automating submission intake, triaging risks, embedding rating capabilities, and centralizing risk-critical information. Both organizations cited expectations of improved underwriting accuracy, efficiency, and growth potential as key drivers for adopting the technology.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Skyward Specialty Insurance: US-listed specialty insurer with growing MGA partnerships across complex lines. Relevant comparator for Avid's specialty/MGA operating model.
• Ascot Group: Specialty insurance group with significant Lloyd's presence underwriting complex commercial risks. Comparable to Avid in specialty class mix, though larger and more diversified.
• Hiscox: London-listed specialist insurer with significant specialty and reinsurance operations. Comparable to Avid in specialty risk expertise, but operating at much larger scale.
• Brit Insurance: London-based specialty insurer underwriting complex commercial lines. Overlaps with Avid in specialty risk appetite and London market presence, though at significantly greater scale.
• Canopius Group: London-headquartered specialty (re)insurer with Lloyd's and company-market capabilities. Overlaps with Avid in complex specialty lines but operates at much broader scale.
• Talbot Underwriting: Lloyd's-focused specialty underwriting operation (part of Validus/Reinsurance Group of America). Comparable to Avid as a London specialty underwriter in complex lines, but at substantially larger scale.

Direct peers

• Velocity Risk Underwriters: Specialty MGA platform underwriting complex commercial risks. Similar to Avid in serving hard-to-place classes via delegated authority arrangements.
• Mosaic Insurance: Specialty insurer and MGA platform active in complex commercial lines. Closely comparable to Avid in its use of technology-enabled underwriting and specialty class focus.
• CFC Underwriting: London-based specialty MGA operating across complex and emerging risk lines. Directly comparable to Avid as a UK-headquartered MGA focused on non-standard and hard-to-place commercial classes.
• Accelerant: MGA enablement platform that invests in and supports specialty MGAs. Comparable to Avid as an MGA operating model with technology-led underwriting and a focus on underserved niches.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Avid Insurance Services