Optis Partners
Optis Partners is a boutique M&A advisory and consulting firm serving US and Canadian insurance agents and brokers, offering transaction representation, fair market valuations, and ownership perpetuation planning since 2002.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Optis Partners does
OPTIS Partners, LLC is a boutique investment banking and financial consulting firm founded in 2002 and headquartered in Chanhassen, Minnesota, with a secondary presence in Chicago, Illinois. The firm is owned and operated by three principals — Timothy J. Cunningham (Managing Director), Daniel P. Menzer, CPA (Partner), and Steven Germundson (Partner) — with 75+ years of combined industry experience spanning insurance brokerage operations, public accounting, and consulting. The firm specializes exclusively in the US and Canadian insurance distribution sector, serving insurance agents, brokers, MGAs/MGUs, and the acquirers of those entities.
The firm operates three core service lines: (1) Mergers & Acquisitions advisory, including sell-side representation, buy-side financial due diligence, and buyer representation for insurance agency transactions; (2) Valuation & Perpetuation, providing fair market valuations for estate planning, shareholder agreements, ESOPs, and ownership transition, along with comprehensive perpetuation planning; and (3) Strategic Advisory Services, delivering group presentations, education, and strategic planning facilitation to agencies and insurance companies. A differentiator is OPTIS's proprietary M&A transaction database tracking insurance agency and broker M&A activity in the US and Canada since 2008, which feeds a cadence of quarterly and annual M&A reports widely cited by industry publications including Insurance Journal, Business Insurance, and Risk & Insurance, and recognized by SNL Financial.
The business model is professional services fee-based with quote-based engagements typical of M&A advisory and valuation firms. Go-to-market is sales-led, driven by principal-level relationships, referral networks, industry reputation, conference presentations, and thought leadership content marketing. The firm has represented more than 100 buyers and sellers in M&A transactions with values ranging from $500,000 to over $250 million since 2005. Customer segments are horizontally concentrated on insurance agency principals and owners (primary), PE-backed and corporate acquirers of agencies (secondary), and insurance carriers and trade associations (tertiary, for education). There are no disclosed funding rounds, no external investors, and no parent company.
Optis Partners firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Optis Partners
- Legal name
- OPTIS Partners, LLC
- Website
- https://optisins.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Optis Partners is a boutique M&A advisory and consulting firm serving US and Canadian insurance agents and brokers, offering transaction representation, fair market valuations, and ownership perpetuation planning since 2002.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Optis Partners industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Insurance Distribution M&A and Valuation Advisory
- NAICS
- Miscellaneous Intermediation (52391)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Strategic Partnerships, Alliances & JVs Advisory (BPAHADAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Buy-Side Search & Acquisition Advisory (FSAEAIAD)
Keywords
Where Optis Partners is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Optis Partners business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- M&A Advisory Services: Fees from representing buyers and sellers in insurance agency merger and acquisition transactions. Services include confidential memorandum preparation, buyer identification, negotiation support, and transaction facilitation.
- Valuation Services: Fair Market Valuation reports for insurance agencies, used for ownership perpetuation, shareholder agreements, ESOP requirements, estate planning, and M&A transactions.
- Strategic Advisory Services: Ownership perpetuation planning, ownership transition facilitation, and strategic planning services for insurance agencies and brokerages.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Optis Partners product offering
Product offeringCore offering
OPTIS Partners is an investment banking and financial consulting firm providing Merger & Acquisition Advisory, Valuation, and Ownership Perpetuation services to insurance agents and brokers across the United States. The firm represents buyers and sellers in agency M&A transactions, delivers Fair Market Valuation reports for estate planning, ESOPs, and ownership transitions, and conducts strategic advisory seminars and agency planning engagements.
Product overview
OPTIS Partners is an investment banking and financial consulting firm offering three core service lines: Mergers & Acquisitions (seller representation, buy-side financial due-diligence, and buyer representation), Valuation & Perpetuation (fair market valuations and ownership succession planning), and Strategic Advisory Services (group presentations and agency strategic planning). The firm serves insurance agents and brokers across the United States, providing advisory services rather than a software product.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Mergers & Acquisitions Sell-side client representation, buy-side financial due-diligence, and buyer representation services for insurance agency M&A transactions. Targeted at insurance agency owners and buyers seeking to sell, acquire, or evaluate agencies.
- Valuation & Perpetuation Fair market valuation reports and ownership perpetuation planning services for insurance agencies, including ESOP valuations, estate planning valuations, shareholder agreement support, and design of succession plans for internal buyers and sellers.
- Strategic Advisory Services Group presentations, education seminars, and agency strategic planning facilitation for insurance distribution system participants. Includes perpetuation and M&A topic seminars for agents, insurance company personnel, and individual agencies designing growth and value strategies.
Quantifiable outcome
- Represented more than 100 buyers and sellers in M&A transactions ranging from $500,000 to over $250 million since 2005
Companies that use Optis Partners
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Optis Partners technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Optis Partners partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Optis Partners competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Marsh Berry & Co. Marsh Berry is a long-standing insurance distribution consulting and M&A advisory firm serving insurance agencies, brokerages, and MGAs. It is a direct competitor for perpetuation planning, valuation, and sell-side advisory mandates — and is explicitly referenced as prior employer of Optis Partner Daniel Menzer.
- Reagan Consulting: Reagan Consulting is a management consulting firm focused exclusively on the insurance distribution industry, offering benchmarking, perpetuation planning, organic growth, and M&A advisory services. It competes directly with Optis on strategic advisory and valuation work for insurance agency clients.
- IA Capital Group: IA Capital is an investment bank specializing in M&A and capital raising for insurance agencies, brokerages, and MGAs. It competes directly with Optis on sell-side and buy-side representation in the insurance distribution channel.
- Cornerstone Capital Advisors: Cornerstone Capital Advisors is a boutique investment bank focused on insurance distribution M&A, providing sell-side representation, valuation, and consulting services to agencies and brokerages. It is a direct competitor in Optis's core niche of insurance agency transactional advisory.
Broad incumbents
- NFP: NFP is a large, PE-backed insurance broker and advisory firm that actively acquires independent agencies across P&C, benefits, and specialty lines. It is a primary buyer-side counterparty in many of Optis's sell-side engagements rather than a direct advisory peer.
- Hub International: Hub International is one of the largest PE-backed insurance brokerages in North America, executing a sustained agency acquisition strategy. It is a frequent buyer in Optis-tracked transactions, overlapping with Optis's buy-side advisory work but not directly competing for advisory mandates.
- Acrisure: Acrisure is a major PE-backed insurance brokerage that has aggressively acquired agencies to build a top-tier platform. It is an active acquirer in the insurance distribution M&A market Optis covers, providing buy-side mandate opportunities.
- Brown & Brown: Brown & Brown is a publicly-traded insurance distribution platform that continuously acquires independent agencies. It represents a strategic acquirer profile that Optis regularly tracks and sometimes advises on the buy side.
- AssuredPartners: AssuredPartners is a large PE-backed insurance brokerage built through serial acquisitions of independent agencies. It is one of the dominant buyer types in Optis's annual M&A reports, relevant to buy-side representation work.
Others
- Worldwide Broker Network: Worldwide Broker Network is a global alliance of independent insurance brokers that supports cross-border agency relationships. It is adjacent to Optis's buyer/seller ecosystem but does not directly compete for M&A or valuation advisory mandates.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Optis Partners social profiles
Digital presenceOptis Partners financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Optis Partners leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Optis Partners funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Optis Partners M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Optis Partners
What does Optis Partners do?
OPTIS Partners is an investment banking and financial consulting firm providing Merger & Acquisition Advisory, Valuation, and Ownership Perpetuation services to insurance agents and brokers across the United States. The firm represents buyers and sellers in agency M&A transactions, delivers Fair Market Valuation reports for estate planning, ESOPs, and ownership transitions, and conducts strategic advisory seminars and agency planning engagements.
Is Optis Partners a public or private company?
Optis Partners is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Optis Partners founded?
Optis Partners was founded in 2002. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Optis Partners based?
Optis Partners is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Optis Partners make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. M&A Advisory Services are the primary driver. The others are valuation Services and strategic Advisory Services.
Who are Optis Partners's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Marsh Berry & Co., Reagan Consulting, IA Capital Group and Cornerstone Capital Advisors. Broad incumbents are NFP, Hub International, Acrisure, Brown & Brown and AssuredPartners. Worldwide Broker Network is listed as an others.
Does Optis Partners have an API?
No public API is recorded for Optis Partners.
What industry is Optis Partners in?
Optis Partners's product category is Insurance Distribution M&A and Valuation Advisory. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHADAI, Strategic Partnerships, Alliances & JVs Advisory, with a secondary code of FSAEAIAD, Buy-Side Search & Acquisition Advisory. Its NAICS code is 52391 and its SIC code is 8742.