Cooper Gay

What Cooper Gay does

Cooper Gay is a pan-European wholesale Managing General Agent (MGA) and Lloyd's broker founded in 2003 and headquartered in Paris at 55 Rue Pierre Charron. The company operates as a subsidiary of Ardonagh Group following the 2021 acquisition of Corant. Cooper Gay distributes specialty insurance and reinsurance products exclusively through a network of over 200 retail brokers across France, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Austria, and the French Caribbean, with physical offices in Paris, Frankfurt, Venice, Liège, and Fort de France.

The company offers eight distinct specialty product lines: Property & Casualty (including distressed risks and catastrophe-exposed risks), Facultative Property reinsurance, Personal Accident and Life, Sports Insurance (with particular focus on football player value coverage), Special Risks and Contingency, Space Insurance (launch, in-orbit, space tourism), Cargo Insurance (Germany, Austria, France), and Leisure Craft Insurance for the French Caribbean. Following the 2020 acquisition of METEO**PROTECT**, Cooper Gay also provides parametric insurance solutions through an in-house parametric team, and accesses Insurance-Linked Securities (ILS) capacity through international networks. The company holds Lloyd's broker status (since 2014) and Lloyd's coverholder status (since 2006), and is regulated by the ACPR in France with ORIAS intermediary registration.

Cooper Gay's business model combines MGA commission and fee income (earned from underwriting on behalf of first-tier insurers under delegated authority) with (re)insurance brokerage fees (transaction-based commissions on treaty and facultative placements). Products are quoted on a risk-assessed basis rather than under standard published pricing. Leadership comprises President Yoann Chery and Director General Louis Rodier, with named specialist underwriters covering each product line. The company completed the acquisition of Tokio Marine Klin Europe in 2019 and opened its Italy branch in 2023.

Name

Cooper Gay

Legal name

Cooper Gay SAS

Website

https://coopergay.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Cooper Gay is a pan-European wholesale MGA and Lloyd's broker founded in 2003, distributing specialty insurance and reinsurance solutions to over 200 retail brokers across France, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Austria, and the French Caribbean.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wholesale Insurance Brokerage

NAICS

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

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411), Fire, Marine & Casualty Insurance (6331)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial Lines Insurance Brokerage (FSAEADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wholesale Insurance Brokerage (Excess & Surplus Lines) (FSAEADAD), Commercial Lines P&C Reinsurance (FSAOABAB)

Keywords

• Wholesale insurance brokerage
• Managing general agent
• Specialty insurance underwriting
• Facultative reinsurance placement
• Parametric insurance solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. MGA Commission and Fee Income: As a Managing General Agent, Cooper Gay earns commissions and fees from insurance carriers for underwriting and placing business. They create and provide insurance solutions with delegated underwriting authorities from first-tier insurers and benefit from broad underwriting authorities from London and international insurance companies.
2. (Re)insurance Brokerage Fees: As a Lloyd's broker, the company places treaty and facultative reinsurance risks in the French market and international markets, earning brokerage commissions on placements. Can offer proportional or non-proportional solutions on treaty or facultative basis.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Cooper Gay is a wholesale pan-European Managing General Agent and Lloyd's broker that underwrites and places specialist insurance and reinsurance on behalf of first-tier insurers. It provides delegated underwriting solutions across P&C, facultative property reinsurance, personal accident/life, sports, special risks/contingency, space, cargo, and leisure craft lines, plus treaty and facultative reinsurance brokerage with parametric and ILS capabilities. Distribution is carried out exclusively through a network of more than 200 retail insurance brokers across Europe and the French Caribbean.

Product overview

Cooper Gay is a leading wholesale pan-European managing general agent (MGA) and Lloyd's broker providing innovative insurance and reinsurance underwriting solutions. The company operates a multi-product portfolio including P&C insurance, FAC Property reinsurance, Personal Accident/Life, Sports Insurance, Special Risks/Contingency, Space Insurance, Cargo Insurance, and Leisure Craft insurance for French Caribbean. Their (Re)insurance/Broker division offers treaty and facultative reinsurance placement with parametric and ILS solutions. The company also acquired METEO**PROTECT** in 2020 to expand parametric capabilities. They distribute through over 200 insurance brokers across Europe, with offices in Paris, Frankfurt, Venice, Liège, and Fort de France.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• METEO**PROTECT**: Specialist parametric brand acquired by Cooper Gay in 2020, providing parametric insurance solutions.

Products and services

• P&C Insurance Property and casualty underwriting for distressed risks, catastrophe-exposed risks, construction, night trades, damaged buildings, high-value homes and listed buildings across Metropolitan France, French Overseas Departments/Territories, Monaco and EEA. Distributed through French registered retail brokers.
• FAC Property (Facultative Reinsurance - Property) Facultative property reinsurance providing access to Lloyd's-style underwriting and expertise, covering standard property risks on excess of loss basis for EEA risks. Includes natural events coverage across Europe.
• Personal Accident/Life Insurance Personal accident and life solutions including accidental death, disability, voluntary group personal accident, sports and entertainment coverage, travel insurance and key man insurance, distributed through European brokers.
• Sports Insurance Specialist sports insurance focused on football clubs player value insurance, rugby and basketball clubs, PA all sports, players' transfers, prize indemnity, and sporting event cancellation.
• Special Risks/Contingency Insurance Special risks coverage including events cancellation, promotional activities, prize indemnity, retail schemes, specialist travel, emergency repatriation, temporary disablement and equine & bloodstock insurance, distributed via French, German and European registered brokers in partnership with leading continental reinsurers.
• Space Insurance Specialized space insurance covering launch, in-orbit, pre-launch, third party liability, space tourism A&H, ground tests, with parametric-based coverage available on request for EEA and non-EEA business.
• Cargo Insurance Cargo insurance covering general cargo, textiles, machinery producers, metals, vault, and computer and electronics shipments for Germany, Austria, Metropolitan France and French Overseas Territories, distributed through German, Austrian and French retail brokers.
• Leisure Craft Insurance (French Caribbean) Leisure crafts insurance designed for French Caribbean including windstorm/hurricanes coverage on full-year basis, covering boats, outboard motors, sails and special equipment for vessels under French flag in Martinique, Guadeloupe, Saint Barthélemy and Saint Martin.
• (Re)insurance Brokerage Services Treaty and facultative reinsurance placement services offering proportional and non-proportional solutions on a treaty or facultative basis for French and international markets, with parametric solutions via in-house parametric team and ILS solutions through international network.
• METEO**PROTECT** Parametric Insurance Specialist parametric insurance brand acquired by Cooper Gay in 2020, providing parametric-based coverage solutions, particularly for weather-related events and space risks, delivered through an in-house parametric team.

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• METEO**PROTECTcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Cooper Gay acquired METEO**PROTECT, a specialist parametric brand, in 2020. This acquisition enhanced Cooper Gay's parametric insurance capabilities and in-house parametric team.
• Tokio Marine Klin EuropemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Cooper Gay successfully completed the acquisition of Tokio Marine Klin Europe in 2019, expanding their European operations and underwriting capabilities.
• Leading Continental ReinsurerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecial risks and contingency products launched in partnership with specialized brokers and significant capacities provided by leading continental reinsurers. Many players left the special risks market, making these partnerships critical for providing coverage solutions.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ed Broking: Specialist wholesale insurance and reinsurance broker with strong Lloyd's market presence and expertise in complex and specialty risks. Directly comparable to Cooper Gay in serving niche and complex risk placements via Lloyd's market and continental European cedants.
• CFC Underwriting: Specialist MGA underwriting emerging and complex risks across multiple lines including cyber, professional lines, and specialty casualty. Closely comparable to Cooper Gay as a multi-class specialty MGA with delegated authority and a wholesale distribution model.
• BMS Group: Specialist Lloyd's broker and independent insurance advisory group operating across multiple specialty lines and geographies, with comparable MGA and reinsurance capabilities. Directly comparable to Cooper Gay in business model (specialist wholesale broker with delegated authority) and target customer base (large/complex risks placed through retail brokers).
• Ardonagh Specialty: Specialty broking arm of the Ardonagh Group, Cooper Gay's parent. Internal peer given shared platform, similar wholesale/specialty focus, and access to shared capacity, distribution, and capital.
• Miller Insurance Services: Independent specialist insurance broker with Lloyd's market access and strong specialty practice in energy, marine, and specialty casualty. Closely comparable to Cooper Gay as a mid-sized London-rooted specialty broker with European distribution and delegated authority operations.
• Atrium Underwriters (Atrium): Specialist Lloyd's underwriting platform and MGA group operating multiple delegated authority vehicles across specialty lines. Directly comparable to Cooper Gay in operating delegated authority binding authority vehicles from Lloyd's and international carriers.
• Besso Insurance Group: Independent specialist Lloyd's broker and reinsurance intermediary with European and international specialty capabilities. Comparable to Cooper Gay in business model and target clients (specialty risks placed through Lloyd's and international markets).

Broad incumbents

• Howden Group: Large independent global specialty insurance broker with Lloyd's market access and European specialty operations. Comparable to Cooper Gay in specialty/Lloyd's broker activity but operates at much larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• Swiss Re: Global reinsurance leader with parametric solutions capabilities through its Corporate Solutions and Public Sector units. Comparable to Cooper Gay as a counterparty/competitor in parametric and specialty reinsurance placements, though operating at vastly larger scale.

Emerging players

• Rokstone: Specialist insurance MGA and Lloyd's coverholder focused on complex and specialty risks with growing European footprint. Comparable to Cooper Gay's MGA model with delegated authority and niche specialty focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Cooper Gay