Ascendant

What Ascendant does

Ascendant Insurance Solutions is a privately held Managing General Agency (MGA) founded in 2009 and headquartered in Coral Gables, Florida, that places commercial and personal insurance on behalf of admitted and non-admitted carriers rated A.M. Best A and A+. The company operates through its primary legal entity, Ascendant Underwriters, LLC, and affiliated entities handling underwriting (Ascendant Business Insurance, Inc.), claims (Ascendant Claims Services, LLC), and technology (Optima Technology Solutions, LLC), and is led by founder, president, and CEO Pablo Cejas.

The company's core product set spans Workers' Compensation, Commercial Auto (including a hard-to-place program), General Liability, Garage, BOP, Commercial Package Policy, Commercial Property, Professional Liability, D&O, Cyber Liability, Umbrella/Excess, and specialty lines such as Nonprofit, Aviation, Yacht, Flood, and Hurricane Protection Plan, alongside personal lines (Homeowners, Animal Liability). Distribution is built around a network of 1,600+ independently owned insurance agencies concentrated in Florida, supported by 40+ in-house underwriters and more than 7,250 annual agency visits. Technology is delivered through a web-based Agent Portal with the proprietary ASAP tool for instant Workers' Compensation quoting, an Insured Portal, the ASSIST sales-support program with API capabilities, and the Ascendant Mobile App on iOS and Android.

Ascendant's commercial model is commission-based, earning fees from carriers on placed premium and paying competitive commissions to its agency partners, with weekly incentive rewards, profit sharing tied to written premium and loss-ratio thresholds, and co-op advertising support. The strategic emphasis is the Hispanic-owned SMB and agency market, addressed through full bilingual (English/Spanish) operations, intercultural underwriting expertise, and a workforce that is 86% Hispanic with all key decision-makers Hispanic. Since inception the company has placed more than $1.6 billion of written premium, expanded from Florida into 49 states, and was expected to produce over $130 million in direct written premium in 2020, with 75,000+ new submissions, 12,000+ policies issued per year, and a 35% bind-to-quote ratio on approximately $200 million of annual quoted premium.

Name

Ascendant

Legal name

Ascendant Underwriters, LLC

Website

https://acicompanies.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Ascendant is a privately held Florida-based Managing General Agency founded in 2009 that places commercial and personal insurance through a 1,600+ agency network, with a strategic focus on Hispanic-owned small and medium-sized businesses and bilingual, intercultural underwriting across 49 states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Insurance Distribution / Managing General Agency

NAICS

Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (524210), Other Insurance Related Activities (52429), Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities (5242)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

Insurance Program Administration & MGA/MGU Services (FSAEADAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Embedded Insurance & Affinity Distribution Platforms (FSAGAGAL), Policy Administration, Underwriting & Rating Platforms (Core Insurance SaaS) (FSAGAGAB)

Keywords

• Managing general agency
• Commercial insurance distribution
• Workers compensation programs
• Specialty insurance underwriting
• Hispanic market insurance

Headquarters

HQ city

Coral Gables

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Insurance Commission Revenue: Ascendant earns commissions from insurance carriers for placing business through their distribution network of agents and brokers. The company pays competitive commissions to agency partners and rewards new business growth with weekly incentive rewards.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Ascendant Insurance Solutions is a Managing General Agency (MGA) that designs, underwrites, and distributes specialty commercial and personal insurance products through a network of independent insurance agents and brokers. The company focuses on underserved niche markets with a strategic emphasis on the Hispanic market, offering admitted and non-admitted coverage across multiple U.S. states. It operates as a one-stop shop for agents, providing underwriting authority, product development, and back-office support from licensed carrier partners.

Product overview

Ascendant Insurance Solutions is a Florida-based Managing General Agency offering a comprehensive insurance platform through its Agent Portal and Insured Portal, with products spanning commercial lines (Workers' Compensation, Commercial Auto, General Liability, Garage, Professional Liability, D&O, Umbrella, Cyber Liability, Property) and personal lines (Homeowners, Flood, Animal Liability, Yacht Insurance). The core platform enables real-time quote, bind and policy management. Specialized tools include ASAP for Workers' Compensation instant quoting, the Cross-Selling Platform for revenue generation, and the ASSIST Program for sales support. Products are distributed through a network of independent insurance agents and brokers, with mobile access via the Ascendant Mobile App.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Workers' Compensation Workers' compensation coverage underwritten and distributed by Ascendant on behalf of carrier partners for employers purchasing through independent agents and brokers.
• Commercial Auto Commercial automobile insurance for business-owned vehicles, distributed through independent agents and brokers.
• General Liability General liability insurance for businesses, underwritten and distributed through Ascendant's agent and broker network.
• Garage Garage insurance for auto dealerships, service stations, and related businesses, distributed through independent agents and brokers.
• Business Owners Policy (BOP) Business Owners Policy bundling property and liability coverage for small and mid-sized businesses, distributed through independent agents and brokers.
• Commercial Package Policy Customized commercial package policy combining multiple coverages for businesses, underwritten and distributed through Ascendant's agent and broker network.
• Commercial Monoline Property Standalone commercial property insurance coverage for businesses, distributed through independent agents and brokers.
• Professional Liability Professional liability (errors and omissions) coverage for professionals and service-providing businesses, distributed through independent agents and brokers.
• Cyber Liability Cyber liability insurance for businesses facing data breach, cyber attack, and technology-related exposures, distributed through independent agents and brokers.
• Umbrella Commercial umbrella and excess liability insurance providing additional coverage limits above underlying policies, distributed through independent agents and brokers.
• Directors & Officers (D&O) Directors and Officers liability insurance protecting executives and board members from claims arising from management decisions, distributed through independent agents and brokers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 35% bind to quote ratio with $200 million in quoted premium annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• A.M. Best A and A+ Superior CarrierscoreOthersAscendant represents admitted and non-admitted property and casualty insurance carriers rated A.M. Best A (Excellent) and A+ (Superior) for products including Workers' Compensation, Commercial Auto, Commercial Property, BOP, Garage, and various liability coverages across 49 states.
• Wholesale & Specialty Insurance Association (WSIA)minorOthersMembership organization for wholesale and specialty insurance markets.
• Florida Association of Insurance Agents (FAIA)minorOthersState insurance agent association providing advocacy and education for Florida insurance professionals.
• Target Markets Program Administration AssociationminorOthersAssociation for program administrators and MGA organizations in specialty insurance markets.
• Latin American Association of Insurance Agencies (LAAIA)minorOthersAssociation supporting Latin American insurance agencies, co-sponsor of Spencer Foundation scholarship for Hispanic students in risk management and insurance.
• Coral Gables Chamber of CommerceminorOthersProud member of local chamber of commerce supporting business community in Coral Gables, Florida.
• United Way of Miami-Dade CountyminorOthersNonprofit partner for community support and charitable giving programs.
• Nicklaus Children's HospitalminorOthersHealthcare nonprofit partner receiving community support from Ascendant.
• Live Like Bella - Childhood Cancer FoundationminorOthersChildhood cancer foundation receiving community support from Ascendant.
• Step Up for StudentsminorOthersNonprofit organization providing scholarships, supported by Ascendant in the community.
• Castaways Against CancerminorOthersCancer awareness and support organization receiving community support.
• Global Empowerment MissionminorOthersNonprofit organization supported by Ascendant for global empowerment initiatives.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Hiscox: A specialty insurer and MGA offering commercial small-business products through independent agents, including Workers' Comp and BOP. A broader incumbent but with the same SMB-focused agent-driven distribution Ascendant depends on.
• Amwins: The largest U.S. wholesale broker, distributing and underwriting specialty insurance through MGAs and retail agents nationwide. Broader and better-capitalized than Ascendant, but operates in the same specialty MGA distribution lane.

Direct peers

• Brown & Riding Insurance Services: A specialty wholesale broker and MGA placing complex commercial risks through retail agents — directly overlapping with Ascendant's hard-to-place commercial appetite across multiple lines.
• CRC Group: A rapidly growing wholesale insurance specialty distributor built through roll-ups of regional MGAs. Comparable to Ascendant in MGA distribution model and target commercial lines, though broader in scale and product breadth.
• Bridge Specialty Group: A national specialty insurance platform combining wholesale brokerage and MGA operations. Operates in adjacent specialty commercial lines and uses a similar retail-agent distribution model as Ascendant.
• World Insurance Associates: A fast-growing national insurance brokerage and MGA roll-up with deep personal and commercial lines presence. Comparable to Ascendant as a private, growth-oriented MGA-broker targeting underserved commercial segments.
• RPS (Risk Placement Services): A national wholesale broker and MGA offering specialty commercial and personal lines through retail agents, with similar reliance on hard-to-place and niche commercial risks comparable to Ascendant's Workers' Comp and Commercial Auto focus.
• Burns & Wilcox: A high-touch wholesale brokerage and MGA distributing specialty commercial and personal lines through a large agent network, closely comparable to Ascendant's specialty distribution model across admitted and non-admitted markets.

Others

• Optima Technology Solutions: A subsidiary of Ascendant Underwriters, LLC providing technology solutions to insurance agencies. Relevant as a captive tech/Insurtech capability supporting Ascendant's digital agent platform and comparable to MGA-specific Insurtech enablers.

Regional players

• Florida Peninsula Insurance: A Florida-domiciled specialty property insurer focused on personal lines hurricane risk in the same Florida market where Ascendant concentrates its Workers' Comp and Commercial Auto book. Regionally relevant but not a direct competitor in Ascendant's core lines.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AscendantInsure
• Facebookfacebook.com/AscendantInsurance

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Ascendant