Avant Specialty Benefits

What Avant Specialty Benefits does

Avant Specialty Benefits is an independent employee benefits general agency (GA) founded in 2016 and headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, with additional offices in Dallas, Minneapolis, and Des Moines. The company operates a partner-first distribution model serving insurance brokers, agencies, and carriers across three specialty lanes: ancillary benefits procurement, stop loss insurance support, and individual and business risk programs. The firm manages $1B+ in premium under management and 10M+ lives, supported by an 11-50 person team averaging 16 years of employee benefits expertise per employee.

The firm's core product portfolio spans structured procurement services (dental, vision, life, disability, voluntary/worksite benefits; stop loss RFP and claims support; executive benefits) and proprietary data tools including the CAP Tool for high-cost claimant identification and stop loss strategy, Ancillary Quote Lin-Q for carrier matching and quote comparability, ClaimSpur Advance Funding for 72-hour stop-loss claim financing (delivered in partnership with Aegle Capital), and Absence Risk Assessment with a state-level PFML heatmap. Recent additions include Senior Market Solutions (Medicare transition support launched May 2025) and Collegiate Athletics Risk Management (NIL/revenue-sharing insurance launched May 2025).

Avant generates revenue primarily through general agency commissions and profit-sharing arrangements with insurance carriers for placing specialty benefits business, with structured procurement and consulting work as a secondary stream. The Senior Market Solutions program is delivered at no cost to employers or brokers, functioning as a funnel for downstream Medicare placement economics. The firm is privately held under HMA Group Holdings, LLC (Iowa LLC), with equity distributed among President Lauren Roth and Vice President/Shareholders Zack Harding, Jimmy Edwards, Tim Schwob, and Ted Holt. No institutional capital, M&A activity, or regulatory actions are disclosed in the input.

Name

Avant Specialty Benefits

Legal name

HMA Group Holdings, LLC

Website

https://avantsb.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Avant Specialty Benefits is an independent employee benefits general agency founded in 2016, serving brokers, agencies, and carriers with ancillary benefits procurement, stop loss insurance support, and individual and business risk programs across $1B+ premium under management.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Employee Benefits Brokerage / General Agency Services

NAICS

Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (524210), Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities (5242), Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (52421)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Employee Benefits Brokerage & Consulting (FSAEADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Benefits Administration (BPACAPAC), Embedded Insurance & Affinity Distribution Platforms (FSAGAGAL), Benefits Administration & Enrollment Support (BPAAAIAB)

Keywords

• Employee benefits brokerage
• Stop loss insurance
• Ancillary benefits procurement
• Specialty benefits distribution
• General agency services

Headquarters

HQ city

Kansas City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. General Agency Commission Revenue: Avant Specialty Benefits operates as an independent employee benefits general agency (GA) that earns commissions and profit-sharing arrangements from insurance carriers for placing specialty benefits business including ancillary benefits, stop loss insurance, and individual & business risk programs. Compensation includes commissions and profit-sharing payments based on the profitability and/or premium growth of business placed with insurance carriers.
2. Specialty Benefits Procurement Support: Structured procurement support for ancillary benefits, stop loss insurance, and individual & business risk programs for broker, agency, and carrier partners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Avant Specialty Benefits is an independent employee benefits general agency (GA) that supports brokers, agencies, and insurance carriers in placing specialty benefits across three lanes: Ancillary Benefits Procurement, Stop Loss Insurance Support, and Individual & Business Risk Programs. The company delivers structured procurement, disciplined execution, and recommendation-ready outputs, reinforced by proprietary data tools such as the CAP Tool, Ancillary Quote Lin-Q, ClaimSpur Advance Funding, and Absence Risk Assessment.

Product overview

Avant Specialty Benefits is an independent employee benefits general agency (GA) organized around three core specialty lanes: Ancillary Benefits Procurement, Stop Loss Insurance Support, and Individual & Business Risk Programs. The company operates a unified partner experience model, delivering these specialty solutions through a consistent operating rhythm with structured procurement, disciplined execution, and proprietary data tools. The product portfolio includes core specialty benefits services (ancillary benefits, stop loss, individual & business risk) supported by proprietary technology tools including the CAP Tool for high-cost claimant identification, Ancillary Quote Lin-Q for carrier matching, ClaimSpur Advance Funding for claim financing, and Absence Risk Assessment for leave compliance planning. Recent launches include Senior Market Solutions (Medicare transition support) and Collegiate Athletics Risk Management (NIL/revenue-sharing insurance). Founded in 2016, the company supports brokers, agencies, and carriers across markets with $1B+ premium under management and 10M+ lives managed.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CAP Tool: Claims analysis platform that combines clinical insights and financial analysis of the costliest and most complex diagnoses and specialty drugs to support enterprise-wide initiatives and stop loss strategy.
• Ancillary Quote Lin-Q
• ClaimSpur Advance Funding
• Absence Risk Assessment
• Senior Market Solutions
• Collegiate Athletics Risk Management
• Executive Benefits

Products and services

• Ancillary Benefits Procurement Structured procurement support for voluntary and worksite benefits including group dental, group vision, group life, group disability (STD/LTD), and supplemental coverages such as accident, critical illness, and hospital indemnity insurance. Designed for brokers and agencies seeking consistent execution across ancillary lanes.
• Stop Loss Insurance Support Disciplined procurement and carrier negotiation support for stop loss insurance covering self-funded and level-funded health plans. Includes RFP management, implementation, reporting, claims support, and high-claimant identification and monitoring via the CAP Tool. For self-funded employers and the brokers/agencies that serve them.
• Individual & Business Risk Programs Specialty support for nuanced individual and business risk needs spanning Executive Benefits Programs, Senior Health Insurance Services, and NIL Risk Management, delivered with discretion, clear guidance, and a structured placement approach.
• Senior Market Solutions Medicare transition program helping employers move Medicare-eligible employees from group plans to Medicare coverage options. Provides personalized guidance from licensed Medicare specialists, annual savings reporting, participation metrics, and ongoing Medicare support at no cost to employers or brokers.
• Collegiate Athletics Risk Management NIL and revenue-sharing insurance strategies for colleges, universities, and affiliated private collectives. Purpose-built enterprise-level risk management addressing obligations from revenue sharing and NIL compensation without traditional employment status or insurance infrastructure.
• Executive Benefits Structured placement guidance for executive benefit programs including market coordination, documentation support, and decision-ready recommendations. Designed for cases with multiple stakeholders, sensitive details, and tight timelines.
• CAP Tool (High Claimant Identification & Monitoring) Proprietary claims analysis platform combining clinical insights and financial analysis of the costliest and most complex diagnoses and specialty drugs. Identifies potential high-cost claimants earlier, projects expected costs by diagnosis and other variables, and supports proactive planning and stop loss strategy.
• Ancillary Quote Lin-Q Ancillary quoting and carrier-matching tool designed to improve quote comparability and streamline procurement across ancillary and voluntary benefits. Standardizes inputs and organizes carrier matching so quote responses are easier to compare and recommendations easier to defend.
• ClaimSpur Advance Funding Stop-loss funding solution offered in partnership with Aegle Capital that manages volatility of high-cost claims by providing immediate funding and protecting the health plan while stop loss reimbursement is pending. Funds eligible claims within 72 hours / 3 business days.
• Absence Risk Assessment Leave and absence planning tool featuring a State Leave Management Heatmap and census analysis to identify where statutory PFML responsibilities may apply, helping partners clarify statutory exposure and align stakeholders on requirements and timelines.

Quantifiable outcome

• Manages $1B+ premium under management and 10M+ lives
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Aegle CapitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClaimSpur Advance Funding is offered in partnership with Aegle Capital. This stop-loss solution helps manage volatility of high-cost claims by providing immediate funding and protecting the plan while reimbursement is pending. Funds eligible claims within 72 hours / 3 business days, adding a financial stability layer to stop loss strategy.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• CRC Insurance Services: CRC is one of the largest US wholesale insurance brokers and specialty GAs, offering specialty benefits placement and proprietary tools to retail brokers. Comparable business model and target customer base to Avant.
• Alera Group: Alera Group is a national insurance and financial services firm built via roll-up of independent agencies, with strong employee benefits and stop-loss capabilities. Comparable mid-market specialty benefits focus.
• RPS (Risk Placement Services): RPS is a large national wholesale insurance brokerage and specialty GA distributing across P&C, benefits, and personal lines. It competes most directly with Avant in specialty benefits placement and serves a similar broker-and-agency channel.
• Brown & Riding: Brown & Riding is a national specialty wholesale broker with deep expertise in niche and excess/surplus lines plus specialty benefits. Similar partner-first distribution model and selective relationships with retail brokers.
• Holmes Murphy: Holmes Murphy is a large independent insurance brokerage focused on employee benefits and commercial insurance. Avant's careers page is hosted on Holmes Murphy's Workday, indicating a close operational affiliation and strongly overlapping benefits practice.

Broad incumbents

• USI Insurance Services: USI is a top-10 US insurance brokerage with significant employee benefits and specialty practices, including stop-loss and ancillary benefits distribution. Overlaps with Avant's mid-market and enterprise broker targets.
• Lockton: Lockton is the world's largest independent insurance brokerage with extensive employee benefits and stop-loss capabilities. A broader incumbent that competes for large self-funded employer placements and broker partnerships.
• Marsh McLennan: Marsh McLennan is the largest global insurance broker and risk advisor with Mercer for benefits. A broad incumbent against whom Avant positions its selective, high-touch specialty benefits model for self-funded employers.
• World Insurance Associates: World Insurance Associates is a growing national insurance brokerage built through acquisitions, with employee benefits and stop-loss capabilities. Competes for similar mid-market broker relationships and stop-loss placements.
• NFP (an Aon company): NFP is a large US insurance brokerage and benefits consultancy acquired by Aon, with deep specialty benefits and stop-loss practices. Broader portfolio but directly competes for the same broker and self-funded employer relationships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Avant Specialty Benefits