Brooks Braithwaite (Sussex) Ltd

What Brooks Braithwaite (Sussex) Ltd does

Brooks Braithwaite (Sussex) Ltd is a UK-registered insurance intermediary (FCA Firm Reference Number 304839) specialising in insurance products for animal-related risks. Founded in 1979 and headquartered in Haywards Heath, West Sussex, the company operates a portfolio of brands including Brooks Braithwaite Sanctuary (pet business insurance), ExoticDirect (exotic pet insurance), and British Pet Insurance. It serves tens of thousands of UK customers across more than 35 pet business activity types — from dog walkers, groomers and boarders to hydrotherapists, falconers, exotic pet owners, XL Bully handlers, vet practices, and smallholders — through direct-to-consumer channels (an online quote portal, self-serve policy and claims forms) and a phone-based sales and service team operating seven days a week. Core coverage spans public liability, employers' liability, care/custody/control of animals, professional indemnity, property damage, legal expenses, and bundled Cyber Insurance (in partnership with Coalition), with entry-level cover from £4.98/month.

The company's technology footprint is a web-based quote and policy administration platform, integrated with Google Analytics, Google Ads, Remarketing and Tag Manager for digital marketing; it does not expose public APIs, SDKs, or proprietary AI/ML systems. Revenue is generated via recurring monthly or annual insurance premiums on a broker/intermediary basis, with Allianz Insurance plc acting as the long-standing underwriting partner for ExoticDirect and Petplan Sanctuary products. The business is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Petcover Group, which acquired it from ManyPets Ltd in 2023. Cumulative claims paid exceed £15 million across 2002–2024, supporting a trust-based, niche-specialist positioning rather than a technology-led model.

Name

Brooks Braithwaite (Sussex) Ltd

Legal name

Brooks Braithwaite (Sussex) Ltd

Website

https://brooksbraithwaite.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Brooks Braithwaite (Sussex) Ltd is a UK FCA-authorised insurance intermediary, founded in 1979, specialising in pet business and exotic pet insurance for tens of thousands of micro-businesses and individuals across 35+ animal-related activity types, distributing via direct online and phone channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Pet and Animal Business Insurance

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), Insurance Carriers, Nec (6399)

akta.pro primary industry

Pet Insurance (FSAJAKAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

General Liability Insurance (FSAJAKAD), Specialty & Excess/Surplus Lines (E&S) (FSAJAKAI)

Keywords

• Pet business insurance
• Specialist liability cover
• Animal care insurance
• Exotic pet insurance
• Pet professional insurance

Headquarters

HQ city

Haywards Heath

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Insurance Premium Revenue: Brooks Braithwaite acts as an insurance broker/administrator selling pet business insurance policies. Revenue is generated through insurance premiums paid by policyholders on a monthly or annual basis. The company administers policies for Petplan Sanctuary and underwrites ExoticDirect policies in partnership with Allianz Insurance plc. Premiums are influenced by policy type, level of cover, business size, and claims history.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Brooks Braithwaite (Sussex) Ltd is a specialist UK insurance intermediary that designs, markets, and administers liability and business insurance policies for pet care professionals and animal-related businesses — including dog walkers, groomers, boarders, kennels, catteries, day care, trainers, hydrotherapists, pet shops, vets, animal clubs, and exotic animal keepers. The firm also distributes exotic pet insurance direct to consumers under its ExoticDirect sub-brand and provides complementary add-on covers such as Legal Expenses and Cyber Insurance.

Product overview

Brooks Braithwaite (Sussex) Ltd operates Brooks Braithwaite Sanctuary as its primary pet business insurance brand, offering a portfolio of specialist insurance products for the UK pet care industry. The product range centres on Brooks Braithwaite Sanctuary for pet care professionals (dog walkers, groomers, trainers, boarders) and ExoticDirect (a sub-brand) for exotic pet insurance underwritten by Allianz. Core products include sector-specific covers such as Dog Walking Insurance, Pet Sitting Insurance, Pet Boarding Insurance, Boarding Kennels Insurance, Boarding Cattery Insurance, Cat & Dog Grooming Insurance, Dog Day Care Insurance, Pet Taxi Insurance, Pet Training Insurance, Dog Hydrotherapists Insurance, Dog Clubs & Societies Insurance, and Pet Shop Insurance. Additional offerings cover Small Holdings and Farm Insurance, Livestock Insurance, Vet Practice Insurance, and various liability products including Public Liability Insurance, Employers' Liability Insurance, Pet Dog Public Liability Insurance (with therapy dog cover up to £5m), Pet on Private Land Insurance, Dangerous Wild Animal Insurance, Bird of Prey Liability Insurance, Animal Centre Insurance, and Animal Shows/Displays/Events Insurance. Add-on modules include Cyber Insurance (offered through Coalition), Legal Expenses Cover, and professional indemnity and care/custody/control coverage bundled across most policies. The company targets both businesses and private individuals in the pet care sector, administered under the Petplan Sanctuary partnership with Allianz.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Brooks Braithwaite Sanctuary: Insurance for the Pet Care Professional - comprehensive policies for pet care businesses including dog walkers, pet sitters, groomers, and boarding facilities.
• ExoticDirect

Products and services

• Dog Walking Insurance

Quantifiable outcome

• Over £15 million in claims paid between 2002–2024
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• The Groomers SpotlightminorOthers · 1 January 2025The Groomers Spotlight is an industry organisation that recognises professional pet groomers with City & Guilds Level 3 Diploma or equivalent qualifications. Brooks Braithwaite references this organisation in content about raising grooming standards, positioning the company as a supporter of professional development in the pet grooming industry.
• Petcover GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Petcover Group, a global pet insurer operating in Continental Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, acquired Brooks Braithwaite (Sussex) Limited from ManyPets Ltd (formerly Bought by Many) in 2023. The acquisition expanded Petcover's exotic and pet business insurance offering in the UK. Brooks Braithwaite brands (ExoticDirect and British Pet Insurance) continue to operate under Petcover Group. Andy Pearce is CEO and founders Doug and Gwen Ford bring 40 years of pet insurance experience.
• Allianz Insurance plccoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Allianz Insurance plc, the United Kingdom's largest pet insurance underwriter, underwrites the ExoticDirect and Petplan Sanctuary pet insurance policies administered by Brooks Braithwaite. This is a long-standing underwriting partnership that has enabled Brooks Braithwaite to offer comprehensive specialist coverage.
• Petplan SanctuarycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Brooks Braithwaite is the chosen partner for Petplan Sanctuary, administering all of their pet business insurance policies. Petplan Sanctuary is an offering from Allianz for pet care professionals including dog walkers, pet sitters, and animal boarding establishments. This partnership is highlighted as a key trust signal on the About page.
• trundl / Dogs for AutismminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022British Pet Insurance (Brooks Braithwaite brand) partnered with the trundl walking app to support the Dogs for Autism charity. The trundl app motivates subscribers to walk for charity, with British Pet Insurance sponsoring walks and donations going to Dogs for Autism, a charity providing assistance dogs to autistic individuals at no charge. In June 2022, subscribers walked 735km in nine days raising £150 for the charity.
• PFMA (Pet Food Manufacturers' Association)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022British Pet Insurance sponsored the PFMA Parrot Nutrition Symposium 2022 at Chester Zoo, an industry event for parrot keepers, nutritionists, veterinarians, and charity officials. The company also sponsored the event alongside Arcadia bird lighting. Commercial Partner and Sales Manager Lorraine Nash represented British Pet Insurance at the event.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Petplan UK: Petplan is one of the UK's largest pet insurance providers and the brand behind Petplan Sanctuary, which Brooks Braithwaite administers. Petplan operates directly in consumer pet insurance and adjacent pet business insurance, making it a core peer in the same product categories and distribution channels.
• Animal Friends Pet Insurance: Animal Friends is a UK pet insurance provider offering cover for cats, dogs, horses, and exotic pets. It competes with Brooks Braithwaite's British Pet Insurance and ExoticDirect sub-brands in the broader UK pet insurance market.
• Agria Pet Insurance: Agria is a UK pet insurance specialist underwriting lifetime cover for cats and dogs, with strong veterinary and breeder channel relationships. Comparable to Brooks Braithwaite as a specialist UK pet insurance provider with deep underwriting expertise in animal-related risks.
• ManyPets: ManyPets (formerly Bought by Many) is a UK-based pet insurance provider and was Brooks Braithwaite's previous owner before selling it to Petcover Group in 2023. It operates in the same UK pet insurance market and previously owned comparable pet business insurance products, making it the most directly comparable peer.
• Petcover UK: Petcover UK is the UK arm of Petcover Group, Brooks Braithwaite's parent company. It offers pet insurance products (including business and exotic pet cover) that directly overlap with Brooks Braithwaite's portfolio and shares the same Allianz underwriting relationship.

Broad incumbents

• Hiscox UK: Hiscox is a UK specialist insurer with significant small business and professional indemnity capabilities, including cover for pet-related professionals (dog walkers, groomers, trainers). It serves as a broad incumbent competitor for the small-business portion of Brooks Braithwaite's book.
• Direct Line Group: Direct Line Group is a major UK general insurer offering pet insurance alongside motor, home, and commercial lines. It competes for UK pet insurance customers via the Direct Line and Churchill brands, representing a broad incumbent with overlapping pet insurance distribution.
• Markel UK: Markel UK is a specialty insurer serving small and mid-sized businesses, including liability and professional indemnity cover for niche professional categories. It overlaps with Brooks Braithwaite's pet business insurance lines as a broader specialty/specialty-lines incumbent.

Emerging players

• Simply Business: Simply Business is a UK online insurance broker matching small businesses with multiple insurers across liability, professional indemnity, and commercial cover. It competes for the same pet professional customer base through comparison/marketplace mechanics rather than direct underwriting expertise.
• Waggel: Waggel is a UK digital-first pet insurance startup using technology-led underwriting and a mobile-first customer experience. While primarily consumer-focused, it represents an emerging digital-first competitor that could expand into pet professional cover, challenging Brooks Braithwaite's traditional broker model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/brooks-braithwaite-sussex-limited

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Brooks Braithwaite (Sussex) Ltd