Red Sands Insurance Group

What Red Sands Insurance Group does

Red Sands Insurance Group is a Gibraltar-domiciled, privately-held independent insurance group founded in 2003 that operates exclusively through a partnership-based distribution model rather than open-market underwriting. The group comprises two regulated entities—Red Sands Insurance Company (Europe) Limited (non-life, Reg No: 87598) and Red Sands Life Assurance Company (Europe) Limited (Reg No: 101001)—both authorised by the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission, with the non-life entity additionally subject to UK FCA and PRA oversight (FCA No: 231635). In 2025, the group became part of Cert., a newly formed global insurance group consolidating four licences across Africa, Australia, Europe and the UK; Red Sands continues to operate independently within its region under the Cert. banner.

The group's product portfolio spans seven core lines: Insurance Backed Guarantees (IBG) for home improvement contractors; Life & Health (Whole of Life, Term, Personal Accident, Payment Protection, Critical Illness); Motor (GAP, Return to Invoice, Motor Warranty, Scratch & Dent); Pet & Equine; Home & Contents; Travel; and Bicycle insurance. Underlying technology consists of Solvency II-compliant capital and reporting systems (effective January 2016), policy administration infrastructure for multiple product lines, and reinsurance support purchased from international reinsurers. The group holds £260 million+ in assets with a solvency cover ratio above 200%, has 3+ million policies in force, and paid £220 million in claims during 2023 across 14 active distribution partners operating in 15+ European countries including the UK, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Greece.

Red Sands generates revenue through insurance premiums collected via its distribution partners—underwriting agents, intermediaries, administrators, automotive finance companies, home improvement IBG schemes, and specialist pet, travel and bicycle insurers. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and the company does not sell direct to consumers; instead it provides flexible capacity, regulatory cover, and product infrastructure that enable partners to offer insurance under their own brands. The customer base is B2B-partner centric, with key named partners including MotoNovo Finance, HomePro, GGFi/FENSA (Installsure), Animal Friends Insurance, AutoProtect, 4Life Direct, Click4Group, Frontier Home Insurance, Waggel, Ancile Insurance Group, Gator Bikesure, Lombard Insurance, Shine!, and SMART Insurance Services.

Name

Red Sands Insurance Group

Legal name

Red Sands Insurance Company (Europe) Limited

Website

https://redsands.gi

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Red Sands Insurance Group is a Gibraltar-domiciled independent insurer (founded 2003) operating exclusively through distribution partners across Europe, offering life, motor, pet, home, travel, bicycle and IBG products to 3+ million policyholders via 14 partners in 15+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Insurance Underwriting

NAICS

Direct Life Insurance Carriers (524113), Direct Property and Casualty Insurance Carriers (524126), Direct Insurance (except Life, Health, and Medical) Carriers (52412)

SIC

Life Insurance (6311), Fire, Marine & Casualty Insurance (6331), Insurance Carriers, Nec (6399)

akta.pro primary industry

Universal Life (UL) Insurance (FSAIABAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Accident & Supplemental (Non-Life) Insurance (FSAJAKAA)

Keywords

• Insurance underwriting services
• Life and health insurance
• Motor insurance products
• Pet insurance underwriting
• Insurance backed guarantees

Headquarters

HQ city

Gibraltar

HQ country

Gibraltar

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Insurance Premium Revenue: Red Sands generates revenue through insurance premiums collected from policyholders across their various product lines including life insurance, motor insurance, pet insurance, travel insurance, and home insurance. The company operates through partner-distributed channels providing both life and non-life insurance solutions.
2. Insurance Backed Guarantees: Prepayment insurance and Insurance Backed Guarantees (IBG) products sold through schemes and industry associations, protecting consumers against supplier liquidation.
3. Life & Health Insurance: Whole of Life Assurance, Term Insurance, Personal Accident, Payment Protection Insurance (PPI) and Critical Illness coverage products for individuals and corporates.
4. Motor Insurance Products: GAP (Guaranteed Asset Protection), Return to Invoice, Motor Warranty, and Scratch & Dent coverage products distributed through automotive finance partners.
5. Pet & Equine Insurance: Pet insurance including vet fees, public liability, holiday cancellation, and boarding fees coverage. Equine insurance covering vet fees, death, public liability, and saddlery/tack protection.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Red Sands Insurance Group is an independent insurance group that underwrites life and non-life insurance products on a partnership basis rather than through the open market. The group operates two regulated entities that together provide Insurance Backed Guarantees, Life & Health, Motor, Pet & Equine, Travel, Bike, and Home & Contents insurance, distributed exclusively through distribution partners, underwriting agents, intermediaries, and administrators across Europe.

Product overview

Red Sands Insurance Group is an independent insurance company operating across multiple market sectors in Europe. The group offers a diverse range of insurance products organized under two regulated entities: Red Sands Life Assurance Company (Europe) Limited and Red Sands Insurance Company (Europe) Limited. The product portfolio includes Insurance Backed Guarantees, Home & Contents, Motor, Pet & Equine, Travel, and Bike insurance. The group distributes through partnerships with underwriting agents, intermediaries, and administrators. Key financial metrics include assets exceeding £260 million, over 3 million policies, and claims paid of £220 million in 2023.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Insurance Backed Guarantees (IBG) Prepayment insurance and Insurance Backed Guarantees that protect consumers against supplier liquidation, including deposit protection and warranty coverage for completed contracts. Distributed through industry schemes and trade associations such as GGFi/FENSA (Installsure) and HomePro, providing protection for home improvement and glazing contracts.
• Life & Health Insurance Life insurance products including Whole of Life Assurance and Term Insurance, plus Personal Accident, Payment Protection Insurance (PPI) covering accident, sickness and unemployment, and Critical Illness cover. Sold through direct-to-consumer life distribution partners across European markets.
• Motor Insurance Products Motor insurance products including Guaranteed Asset Protection (GAP), Return to Invoice (RTI), Motor Warranty, and Scratch & Dent coverage for vehicle owners. Distributed through automotive finance partners and intermediaries at point of motor finance sale.
• Pet & Equine Insurance Pet insurance covering vet fees, public liability, holiday cancellation, and boarding kennel fees for pets; and equine insurance covering vet fees, death, public liability, and saddlery/tack for horses. Distributed via pet insurance partners and intermediaries across Europe.
• Travel Insurance Travel insurance providing emergency medical cover, cancellation and curtailment protection, personal belongings and money coverage, and personal liability protection for travellers.
• Bicycle Insurance Bicycle insurance covering theft, accidental damage, race cover, global coverage, public liability, and personal accident protection for cyclists.
• Home & Contents Insurance Buildings insurance covering property structure, permanent fixtures and fittings, plus contents insurance covering furniture, electronics, and personal possessions. Distributed through home insurance distribution partners such as Frontier Home Insurance.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3+ million policies in force across Europe
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered key partner, secondary partner and minor.

• 4Life Directkey partnerChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLeading international financial services company specializing in distribution and servicing of life and personal accident insurance products for the European market via direct-to-consumer strategies. Operations in UK, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Greece. Has contacted over a million people since 2009.
• Animal Friends Insurancekey partnerChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEthical pet insurance company donating large amounts from profits to animal charities worldwide. Insures over a million dogs, cats and horses. Founded in 1998 with aim of providing industry-leading pet insurance and first-class pet care.
• AutoProtectkey partnerChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFastest developing mechanical warranty and insurance solutions provider in UK, attracting one new customer every minute. 11-year partnership with Red Sands. Products include Mechanical Breakdown Insurance, Breakdown Recovery, Key, Tyre, MOT and SMART coverage.
• Click4Groupsecondary partnerChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSells Mechanical Breakdown Insurance direct to consumer via online channels. Charges up to 75% less than traditional markets due to high volumes and lower overheads.
• GGFi/FENSA (Installsure)key partnerChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSet up in 2005 by Glass & Glazing Federation to provide Insurance Backed Guarantees for FENSA registered businesses. Has accumulated over 2,200 installation businesses onto IBG schemes including major UK home improvement companies. IBGs mainly underwritten by Red Sands.
• HomeProkey partnerChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFounded in 1983, leading provider of home improvement protection insurance products in UK. Manages cover for over 1 million British homes. Over 3,000 UK home improvement contractors are active members. 19+ year partnership with Red Sands.
• Lombard Insurance CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecialist insurance company operating out of South Africa in guarantee, bonding and credit insurance markets. Leaders in specialist risk insurance with focus on construction, customs, fuel guarantees, mining rehabilitation guarantees, and credit insurance.
• MotoNovo Financekey partnerChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOwned by FirstRand Group, fastest growing motor finance business in UK with over 350,000 live customers and balance sheet exceeding £1.6 billion. Provides bespoke GAP and payment protection products designed to complement their core motor finance offering.
• Shine!key partnerImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerClear leader in UK motor repair industry providing consistent high quality service for SMART claims. Nationwide repair service at customer-requested location and time. Most repairs within few hours with lifetime guarantee. Approved by Vehicle Builders & Repairers Association.
• SMART Insurance Serviceskey partnerChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartners with Red Sands to bring SMART insurance products to UK market. Policy repairs small dents, scratches, chips and bumper scuffs allowing policyholders to keep vehicles in showroom condition without compromising no claims bonus.
• Frontier Home Insurancesecondary partnerChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership to provide peace of mind supported by sustainable, fully-personalized and instantly accessible online insurance experience.
• Waggelsecondary partnerChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMembership-based pet insurance company for new generation of pet owners. State-of-the-art system makes pet insurance enjoyable with extra value through Membership platform offering experiences, services and offers.
• Ancile Insurance Groupsecondary partnerChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIndustry leading travel insurance intermediary operating multiple travel insurance brands since 2007. Leading retail travel insurance through innovative product development for contemporary traveling public.
• Gator Bikesure Limitedsecondary partnerChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGlobal insuretech business providing innovative bicycle and cyclist insurance solutions. Partners include Wiggle CRC, Strava, ETA and Sundays insurance. Founded in 2008.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Direct Line Group: Major UK multi-line insurer operating motor, home, travel and pet through direct and partnership channels; broader incumbent competitor for the partnership-distributed products Red Sands underwrites.
• Beazley plc: London-based specialty insurer with a broad portfolio of niche lines; serves as a broader incumbent benchmark for Red Sands' diversified specialty underwriting strategy.
• Aviva plc: Largest UK general and life insurer with multi-line capability including life, health, motor, home and travel; broader incumbent comparable to Red Sands' dual life/non-life structure.
• Hiscox plc: Specialty Lloyd's-linked insurer underwriting niche personal and commercial lines through broker distribution; a broader incumbent analogue for Red Sands' multi-niche specialty approach.
• Admiral Group: Major UK motor and home insurer with strong price-comparison channel presence; a broader incumbent competing for the same GAP and specialty motor wallet Red Sands targets via partners.

Emerging players

• Waggel: UK digital-first pet insurance platform using membership-based distribution; an emerging player competing for the same pet insurance wallet that Red Sands underwrites for Animal Friends and similar partners.

Direct peers

• Petplan: Leading UK pet insurance provider covering dogs, cats and horses; directly comparable to Red Sands' pet and equine underwriting book, including its Animal Friends relationship.
• Haven Insurance: Gibraltar-domiciled personal lines insurer with a similar partnership/distribution model and comparable specialty product focus; Haven's MD Chris Lathey is also a non-executive director at Red Sands, evidencing direct strategic overlap.
• Markerstudy Group: UK specialist insurance group operating niche motor and affinity products through partnerships; similar structural fit to Red Sands' partnership-only underwriting of non-mainstream risks.
• Sabre Insurance Group: UK-listed specialist motor insurer focused on niche segments through broker and aggregator channels; comparable to Red Sands' specialty motor GAP, RTI, and warranty underwriting at MotoNovo and AutoProtect.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/red-sands-insurance-group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Red Sands Insurance Group