Premium Choice

What Premium Choice does

Premium Choice is a privately held UK specialist motor insurance broker, founded in 1999 by Mark Woods and Richard Dornan and authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (registration 312245). The company arranges car, van, courier, specialist vehicle, and motorbike cover for non-standard risk profiles that mainstream insurers systematically decline or price punitively, including young and learner drivers, drivers with convictions or points, and owners of modified, classic, or unusual vehicles. It operates a multi-brand portfolio — Premium Choice (core), A Choice (launched 2012, focused on learner, young, convicted, and van drivers), and Aura (telematics/black-box product for young drivers) — and distributes through its own branded websites, a Wolverhampton-based phone contact centre, and UK insurance comparison platforms.

The underlying technology stack combines a broker panel of more than twenty leading UK underwriters (including Ageas, AXA, Aviva, ERS at Lloyd's, Markerstudy, Liverpool Victoria, Zenith, Covea, and Sabre) with internal data-analytics capabilities for pricing accuracy, risk selection, fraud detection, and reciprocal data-sharing with carriers. The Aura sub-brand layers telematics device partnerships on top of the broker platform, capturing driving behavior signals (night-time driving, journey length and duration, location, motorway use, idling, and accident detection) and translating them into driver scores surfaced through a mobile app used in pricing.

The business model is commission-based: Premium Choice earns transaction fees from insurers on each policy arranged and administered, with optional add-on products (legal protection, keycover, excess cover, breakdown, replacement vehicle, theft protect, windscreen cover) layered on top. The company has sold over one million policies since inception, serves more than 100,000 active customers, and employs approximately 200 staff at its Pendeford House headquarters in Wolverhampton — the site it relocated to in September 2018 from Fort Dunlop, Birmingham, with a £750,000-plus refurbishment investment. It remains wholly founder-controlled with no disclosed external equity, debt, or parent-company structure.

Name

Premium Choice

Legal name

Premium Choice Limited

Website

https://premiumchoice.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Premium Choice is a UK specialist motor insurance broker arranging car, van, courier, specialist vehicle, and bike cover for non-standard risks (young drivers, convicted drivers, modified vehicles) through a panel of 20-plus insurers and three brands: Premium Choice, A Choice, and Aura.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Motor Insurance Brokerage

NAICS

Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (524210), Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (52421)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty & Excess/Surplus Lines (E&S) (FSAJAMAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Commercial Auto & Fleet Insurance (FSAJAMAB), Classic / Collector Car Insurance (FSAJAAAG)

Keywords

• Specialist motor insurance
• Car insurance broker
• Non-standard driver insurance
• Telematics insurance
• Van and courier insurance

Headquarters

HQ city

Wolverhampton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Insurance Brokerage Commissions: Premium Choice acts as an insurance broker earning commissions from a panel of over 20 insurers for arranging and administering insurance policies. They provide car, van, courier, specialist vehicle, and bike insurance products. The company also offers optional add-ons including legal protection, keycover, excess cover, breakdown cover, replacement vehicle, theft protect, and windscreen cover.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Premium Choice is a specialist motor insurance broker that arranges car, van, courier, specialist vehicle, and motorbike insurance through a panel of over 20 leading UK insurers, focusing on non-standard risk customers such as young drivers, convicted drivers, and owners of modified or specialist vehicles. The company operates three brands: Premium Choice (main specialist motor broker), A Choice (learner, young, convicted and van driver insurance, established 2012), and Aura (telematics/black-box insurance rewarding safe driving among young drivers), and offers optional add-ons including legal protection, keycover, excess cover, breakdown cover, replacement vehicle, theft protection, and windscreen cover.

Product overview

Premium Choice is an insurance broker operating a multi-brand portfolio. The core Premium Choice brand serves as the main specialist motor insurance broker, offering car, van, and bike insurance primarily for non-standard risk categories including young drivers, convicted drivers, and those with poor claims history. The company complements its core offering with A Choice (established 2012), a sub-brand targeting learner drivers, young drivers, convicted drivers, and van drivers. Aura represents the newest telematics-focused brand, providing black box insurance products that reward young drivers through competitive pricing based on driving behavior data. The company works with over 20 leading insurers to provide competitive pricing and has sold over 1 million policies since 1999.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• A Choice: Insurance brand established in 2012, providing policies for learner drivers, young drivers, drivers with convictions, and van drivers.
• Aura

Products and services

• Premium Choice Specialist Motor Insurance Core specialist motor insurance brokerage serving non-standard risk customers including young motorists, convicted drivers and owners of unusual vehicles. Works with over 20 leading UK insurers to provide tailored car, van, courier, specialist vehicle, and motorbike insurance. Optional add-ons include legal protection, keycover, excess cover, breakdown cover, replacement vehicle, theft protect, and windscreen cover.
• A Choice Learner and Non-Standard Driver Insurance Sub-brand providing insurance policies for learner drivers (including own-car learner cover), young drivers, drivers with convictions, and van drivers. Targets non-standard customers who face difficulty obtaining affordable cover from mainstream insurers.
• Aura Telematics/Black-Box Insurance Telematics-based black-box insurance aimed at young drivers. Devices monitor and score driving behaviour including late-night driving, journey duration and length, location, motorway driving, idling and accident detection, with results delivered through a telematics app and used to price the policy.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1 million policies sold since 1999
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• AgeascoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAgeas Insurance Limited provides motor and van insurance products through Premium Choice's broker panel. Ageas is one of the leading insurers in the UK market offering car, van, specialist vehicle, and bike insurance.
• AXAcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAXA Insurance UK underwrites motor and van insurance products through Premium Choice's panel, including policies administered by Bollington Underwriting and Policyfast.
• ERS (Syndicate 218 at Lloyd's)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorERS provides motor, van, courier, specialist vehicle, and bike insurance products through Premium Choice. They also offer breakdown cover as an optional add-on.
• Highway InsurancecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHighway Insurance Company Limited (part of Liverpool Victoria General Insurance Group) provides car, van, specialist vehicle, and bike insurance through Premium Choice's panel.
• Markerstudy Insurance ServicescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMarkerstudy provides motor, van, specialist vehicle, and bike insurance through multiple brands including West Bay PLC, Markerstudy Insurance Company Limited, and Zenith (QIC Europe Limited).
• Aviva Insurance LimitedcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAviva underwrites specialist motor and van insurance products through Premium Choice, including Prestige Underwriting Services and GEO Underwriting arrangements.
• Liverpool VictoriacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLiverpool Victoria General Insurance Group provides motor, van, specialist vehicle, and bike insurance through Highway Insurance Company Ltd.
• Zenith Insurance PLCcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorZenith Insurance PLC underwrites motor, van, specialist vehicle, and bike insurance through Insenture Underwriting and direct arrangements.
• ArkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorArk provides van and courier insurance underwritten by Mulsanne Insurance Company through Premium Choice's specialist panel.
• Bollington UnderwritingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBollington Underwriting (trading as Holava Underwriting) provides van and courier insurance underwritten by Accelerant Insurance Ltd and AXA Insurance UK.
• QIC Europe LimitedcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorQIC Europe Limited underwrites motor, specialist vehicle, and bike insurance through Eridge and KGM brand arrangements.
• Covea Insurance PLCcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCovea provides motor and van insurance products through Premium Choice's panel.
• Sabre Insurance Company LimitedcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSabre provides motor and van insurance through Premium Choice's specialist broker panel.
• Telematics Device SupplierscoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partners supply telematics/black box devices for Aura brand products that monitor and record driving behaviors including late night driving, journey information, location, and accident detection.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• GoCompare: UK price-comparison platform that channels motor-insurance customers to providers including specialist brokers. Functions as a distribution partner for Premium Choice and as a competitor for the end customer.
• Markerstudy Group: UK insurance group underwriting motor business through multiple brands (Zenith, West Bay). Functions primarily as an upstream capacity supplier on Premium Choice's panel rather than a customer-facing competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Swinton Group: Large UK high-street insurance broker offering personal and commercial lines including motor. Wider portfolio than Premium Choice but operates a comparable broker/panel model across the UK.
• Liverpool Victoria (LV=): Major UK mutual insurer providing personal lines including motor. Acts both as a panel partner to Premium Choice (via Highway Insurance) and as a direct competitor for personal motor customers.
• 1st Central: UK motor insurance provider selling car and van cover direct and through aggregators. Overlaps with Premium Choice's product set and customer pool but operates a direct-carrier model.
• Hastings Direct: Major UK personal lines insurer and aggregator-led distributor of car, van, and home insurance. Competes for the same end customer but uses a direct/aggregator model rather than specialist brokerage.

Direct peers

• Adrian Flux: One of the UK's largest specialist motor insurance brokers, focused on non-standard and enthusiast risks including modified, imported, classic, and high-performance vehicles. Closely matches Premium Choice's specialist broker model and target customer base.
• Carole Nash: UK specialist insurance broker for motorcycles, scooters, and classic/specialist vehicles. Competes with Premium Choice's specialist-vehicle and bike product lines and uses a similar multi-insurer panel approach.
• A-Plan Insurance: UK high-street insurance broker providing personal and commercial cover including specialist motor. Comparable broker-led, multi-insurer distribution model with a strong regional branch footprint.
• Bikesure: UK specialist broker focused on motorbike, scooter, and trike insurance for non-standard risks. Direct competitor in the two-wheel and non-standard motor segment that Premium Choice addresses through its panel.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/premium-choice

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Premium Choice