ABT Insurance

What ABT Insurance does

ABT Insurance (legal entity Associated Beauty Therapists Limited) is a UK-based specialist insurance and membership provider exclusively serving the beauty, aesthetics, hair, nails, tanning and makeup industry. Founded in 2007 and now operating as a subsidiary of Howden Broking Group, the company delivers tiered annual insurance packages underwritten by Newline Syndicate 1218 at Lloyd's, providing up to £6 million in coverage for standard treatments and up to £4 million for aesthetics across approximately 2,000 different treatments. ABT holds FCA authorization (number 463052) and serves over 18,000 active insured members across the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland.

The company operates an integrated platform combining insurance distribution with value-added membership services. Core technology comprises an online membership portal for policy management, a course accreditation portal for training providers, and the National Register of Beauty & Hair Professionals (NRBHP) consumer-facing directory. Product surface includes seven core insurance products (Beauty Therapist, Aesthetics Individual/Salon, Nails/Tanning/Makeup, Complementary, Hair, Student, Beauty Salon) plus numerous advanced-treatment extensions (micropigmentation, skin needling, cryopen, HIFU/RF, trichology, electrolysis) and supplementary covers (personal accident, business equipment). The company also publishes industry media (Beauty & Hairdressing Magazine, Scratch Magazine) and sponsors trade events.

ABT's revenue model is predominantly subscription-based annual recurring revenue across insurance membership tiers ranging from £25 (student) to £723.64+ (aesthetics). Secondary revenue streams include one-time course accreditation fees (£250-£600) and corporate teaching insurance. The go-to-market is direct-to-consumer via abtinsurance.co.uk, supplemented by phone sales, training-provider referrals, and trade-show presence at Professional Beauty events. The company is supported by a lean team of 7 employees, leveraging the institutional scale of parent Howden Broking Group for distribution and back-office infrastructure.

Name

ABT Insurance

Legal name

Associated Beauty Therapists Limited

Website

https://abtinsurance.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ABT Insurance is a UK specialist insurance and membership provider exclusively for the beauty, aesthetics, hair, nails, tanning, and makeup industry, underwriting policies via Newline Syndicate 1218 at Lloyd's for 18,000+ members across the UK and Ireland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Insurance Membership Packages: ABT generates revenue through annual insurance and membership packages sold to beauty, hair, aesthetics, and complementary therapy professionals. Packages include various tiers from individual therapist coverage to salon policies, with pricing ranging from £25 (student) to £723.64+ (aesthetics). Insurance is underwritten by Newline Syndicate 1218 at Lloyd's.
2. Course Accreditation: ABT charges one-off fees for course accreditation: up to 10 courses (£250), up to 15 courses (£400), up to 20 courses (£500), and over 20 courses (£600). Additional courses after initial accreditation are charged at £40 per course.
3. Corporate Teaching Insurance: ABT offers specific insurance packages for corporate training providers: up to 3 tutors (£164.26) and up to 6 tutors (£171.20), with extension to cover accredited course delivery.
4. Advanced Treatment Extensions: Additional coverage options for advanced treatments including Advanced Electrolysis (£76.45), Advanced Skin Peeling (£38.82), Micropigmentation/Microblading (£248.13), Cryopen (£167.10), Skin Needling/Mesotherapy (£191.05), and other specialized treatments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

ABT Insurance (legal name: Associated Beauty Therapists Limited) provides specialist professional liability, indemnity, and complementary insurance exclusively to UK beauty, aesthetics, hair, nail, tanning, and makeup professionals and salons, with underwriting arranged through Newline Syndicate 1218 at Lloyd's of London. Membership bundles the insurance cover with a year-round support package including HABIA-affiliated trade publications, a National Register of Beauty & Holistic Practitioners (NRBHP) listing, legal and tax advice helplines, and an ABT-accredited training course framework. The firm is FCA-authorised (463052) and operates as part of the Howden Broking Group, serving over 18,000 active members.

Product overview

ABT Insurance is a specialist membership and insurance provider for the beauty, aesthetics, hair, nails, tanning, and makeup industry, operating as part of Howden Broking Group with insurance underwritten by Newline Syndicate 1218 at Lloyd's. The core offering consists of tiered insurance packages (Beauty Therapist, Aesthetics, Nails/Tanning/Makeup, Complementary, Hair, Student, and Salon policies) providing £6 million coverage for standard treatments and £4 million for aesthetics. These are complemented by optional add-on extensions covering advanced treatments (electrolysis, skin peeling, micropigmentation, skin needling, HIFU, sunbeds, teaching, and trichology) and supplementary coverage (personal accident, business equipment). ABT also operates a Training Course Accreditation service and publishes industry publications (Beauty and Hairdressing Magazine, Scratch Magazine) alongside maintaining the National Register of Beauty & Hair Professionals directory. The company serves over 18,000 active members and is FCA authorized (463052).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• National Register of Beauty & Hair Professionals (NRBHP): A trusted list of over 18,000 qualified and insured beauty and hair professionals within the UK, powered by ABT Insurance.
• Beauty and Hairdressing Magazine

Quantifiable outcome

• 4.9 out of 5 star rating based on Facebook reviews
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Howden Broking GroupcoreOthersABT is part of Howden Broking Group, a leading independent insurance broking group that is the 5th largest employee-owned business in the UK. Howden manages premiums for millions of clients across 100 countries with operations in 55 countries. This parent company relationship provides ABT with distribution scale and financial backing.
• Newline Syndicate 1218 at Lloyd'scoreTechnology or IntegrationNewline Group underwrites all ABT insurance policies. Newline Group is a market-leading specialty insurance group operating through Newline Syndicate 1218 at Lloyd's, Newline Insurance Company Limited, and Newline Europe Versicherung AG. They are rated AA- by S&P and A+ by AM Best. ABT believes Newline's combination of underwriting excellence, strong balance sheet and reliable claims-paying practices provides unparalleled value.
• National Register of Beauty & Hair Professionals (NRBHP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNRBHP is a trusted directory of over 18,000 qualified and insured beauty and hair professionals powered by ABT Insurance. The register allows consumers to search for insured professionals and provides lead generation for ABT members.
• VouchableminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVouchable provides online gift voucher selling solutions for ABT members. ABT offers this as a membership benefit to help members sell gift vouchers online through their own websites.
• Scratch MagazinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScratch is the world's leading publication for nail professionals. ABT provides free annual printed subscription to Scratch Magazine (worth £45) as a membership benefit for Nails, Tanning & Makeup insurance members. ABT also sponsors Scratch Stars Awards.
• Aesthetics Medicine MagazinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAesthetics Medicine Magazine provides industry coverage for aesthetics practitioners. ABT offers free annual printed subscription (worth £44) or digital subscription (worth £10) to Aesthetic Medicine magazine as a membership benefit for aesthetics insurance members.
• Professional Beauty EventscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerABT exhibits at Professional Beauty events including Excel (London), Ireland, North (Manchester), and Autumn Excel. These trade shows provide access to Owners Club lounges, networking opportunities, and show-only discounts for ABT members.
• PhorestminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPhorest is an all-in-one salon management system used by 10,000+ hair and beauty businesses. ABT offers Phorest as a potential membership benefit through the application process.
• Smart GroupminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSmart Group has 33 years of experience in the Aesthetic Beauty sector. ABT offers members access to complimentary 20-minute business reviews with tea at the Ritz or similar prizes through this partnership.
• Inverness PiercingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInverness Piercing offers a specialized piercing system package (worth £399 + VAT) available to ABT members at a special rate of £149 + VAT. Includes training courses and authorization as an Inverness Piercing Specialist.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Superscript: UK insurtech offering tailored small business insurance including beauty and wellness professionals. Comparable end customer but differentiated by digital-first delivery rather than specialist relationship-led service.
• Simply Business: UK SMB insurance marketplace enabling beauty and salon professionals to compare and purchase policies from multiple insurers. Threatens specialist brokers like ABT with price-comparison convenience and digital onboarding.

Broad incumbents

• Hiscox UK: Major UK specialty insurer covering professional indemnity for beauty and aesthetics practitioners as part of a broader commercial lines portfolio. Overlaps with ABT in target customer but does not specialize exclusively in the niche.
• Markel UK: Specialty insurer offering professional liability and treatment cover for beauty and salon professionals through brokers. Comparable product offering but broader industry focus than ABT's exclusive beauty specialization.
• Howden: Parent company of ABT Insurance and one of the UK's largest independent insurance brokers ($42bn premium under management). Provides distribution scale and capital backing to ABT and competes indirectly in specialty insurance broking.

Direct peers

• Salon Gold: UK specialist insurance provider for hair and beauty professionals, offering salon, mobile, and home-based cover. Directly comparable to ABT in target customer (beauty/salon owners) and product category (professional indemnity and treatment liability).
• The Insurance Emporium: UK insurer offering beauty therapist insurance among other professional categories. Comparable to ABT in serving self-employed beauty professionals with annual liability and treatment cover.
• Insync Insurance: UK-based specialist insurance broker for beauty, hair, aesthetics, and holistic professionals. Closely mirrors ABT's niche focus, annual subscription model, and treatment liability product structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/abt_insurance
• Facebookfacebook.com/AssociatedBeautyInsurance
• Instagraminstagram.com/abtinsurance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/abt-insurance

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 ABT Insurance