Sector Associates Ltd

What Sector Associates Ltd does

Sector Associates Ltd is an independent UK-based commercial insurance broker that places business directly with Lloyd's of London markets and UK underwriters on behalf of UK businesses. The firm operates as a trading name of David Roberts & Partners (Insurance Brokers) Limited, is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (register number 143840), and is a member of the British Insurance Brokers' Association (BIBA). Its senior team carries nearly 60 years of collective insurance experience, and the founders previously built and exited PXL Insurance/PXL Yorkshire in 2017 before establishing the current business. Headcount is reported at 1–10 employees, with offices in Southport (registered/headquarters) and Thirsk.

The company's core offering is a portfolio of six sector-specific commercial insurance lines — Hospitality, Manufacturing, Leisure, Care & Social Welfare, Waste Management, and a general "Other Sectors" line covering SMEs through large PLCs — supplemented by an in-house claims handling service and a Cyber Attack Insurance add-on. Distribution is direct-to-client across the UK only, via phone, email, online contact form, and BIBA referrals, with no field sales force or international footprint. The business model is commission-based: revenue is generated on placements with insurers, with bespoke, quote-based pricing and annual billing cycles. Marketing is conducted through the company website, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

The go-to-market emphasises direct market access without intermediary layers, sector specialisation (particularly hospitality, where the founders retain deep expertise), and an in-house UK-based claims function that engages loss adjusters on the client's behalf. The firm is positioned as a specialist broker for difficult-to-place risks in its named verticals rather than a generalist volume player, and it operates entirely within the UK regulatory perimeter without disclosed external institutional capital or M&A activity.

Name

Sector Associates Ltd

Legal name

David Roberts & Partners (Insurance Brokers) Limited

Website

https://sectoria.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sector Associates Ltd is an independent UK commercial insurance broker placing sector-specific coverage (hospitality, manufacturing, leisure, care, waste management, general commercial) directly via Lloyd's markets and UK underwriters, serving SMEs through large PLCs across the United Kingdom.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Southport

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Insurance Brokerage Commission: As an independent insurance broker, Sector Associates earns commission from insurers when placing business. They work directly with insurance markets including Lloyd's and UK underwriters to source coverage for clients. Revenue is generated through commissions on insurance policies placed, with a focus on securing comprehensive coverage at competitive rates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Sector Associates is an independent UK commercial insurance broker that sources and places business insurance policies directly with Lloyd's of London markets and UK underwriters on behalf of UK businesses. It delivers sector-specific coverage across Hospitality, Manufacturing, Leisure, Care & Social Welfare, Waste Management, and general Commercial sectors, complemented by an in-house UK claims handling service. Revenue is generated through brokerage commissions on the policies it places.

Product overview

Sector Associates is an independent insurance broker offering a portfolio of sector-specific commercial insurance products backed by Lloyd's underwriters and UK-based insurers. The core offerings consist of six specialized insurance products covering Hospitality, Manufacturing, Leisure, Care & Social Welfare, Waste Management, and general Commercial sectors. These products share common infrastructure through the company's direct access to Lloyd's markets and UK underwriters, and are complemented by an in-house claims handling service. Cyber Attack Insurance is offered as an add-on module across multiple sector products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hospitality Insurance

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

• David Roberts & Partners (Insurance Brokers) LimitedcoreOthersSector Associates is a trading name of David Roberts & Partners (Insurance Brokers) Limited. This is the parent company/brand relationship. The company is authorised and regulated by the FCA (register number 143840) under this entity. The DRP Group includes multiple insurance-related businesses and provides shared services including claims handling.
• British Insurance Brokers' Association (BIBA)strategicOthersSector Associates is a member of BIBA, the British Insurance Brokers' Association. BIBA provides representation for insurance brokers, access to industry resources, and serves as a referral network. BIBA membership is a mark of credibility in the UK insurance broker market.
• Lloyd's of London and UK UnderwriterscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDirect access to Lloyd's markets and UK underwriters for placing client insurance. This direct relationship without middlemen is a key differentiator, allowing the company to secure competitive pricing and appropriate coverage for complex or difficult-to-place risks.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Towergate Insurance Brokers: Large UK general insurance broker serving SMEs and consumers across multiple commercial sectors. Comparable product breadth and target customer profile, though operating at materially larger scale.
• Aston Lark: UK-focused commercial insurance broker built through acquisition of specialist regional brokers across hospitality, leisure, manufacturing and other sectors. Highly comparable sector-specialist roll-up strategy to Sector Associates.
• PIB Group: UK commercial insurance broker consolidator acquiring specialist intermediaries across multiple industry verticals. Closely comparable operating model — multi-vertical niche broker with Lloyd's access and roll-up ambitions.
• Howden Group: Major UK-domiciled commercial insurance broker with strong Lloyd's and London market access across multiple specialist verticals. Closest like-for-like UK competitor to Sector Associates in terms of market positioning and distribution model.
• Bollington Insurance: UK commercial insurance broker offering business insurance across sectors including manufacturing, leisure and hospitality with direct insurer relationships. Comparable mid-size UK specialist broker.
• Clear Insurance Management: Independent UK commercial insurance broker focused on SMEs and hard-to-place risks across multiple sectors. Directly comparable in size, independent status and SME commercial focus.

Broad incumbents

• Aon: Global professional services firm offering insurance brokerage, including a substantial UK commercial practice. Adjacent incumbent that competes for mid-market and larger commercial accounts.
• Marsh: Global insurance broker and risk advisor with a substantial UK commercial practice. Overlaps Sector Associates in commercial placement and Lloyd's access but serves much larger clients and a wider product portfolio.
• Arthur J. Gallagher: Global insurance brokerage and risk management firm with significant UK operations across commercial lines. Competes for the same SME and mid-market commercial clients but operates at vastly greater scale.

Emerging players

• Pen Underwriting: Lloyd's-accredited specialist underwriting and broker group focused on niche commercial lines. Comparable niche-Lloyd's positioning and ability to place difficult risks that mainstream brokers cannot.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sectoriaco
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sector-associates

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Sector Associates Ltd