Groupe Afer

What Groupe Afer does

Groupe Afer is a Montreal-based insurance brokerage founded in 1984 that places coverage with insurers on behalf of individuals and businesses across Canada, with a primary focus on Quebec. The firm serves retail customers with personal insurance products as well as commercial clients with business coverage, and has expanded into specialized lines including cybersecurity, aviation, environmental liability, and agricultural insurance.

The brokerage operates through a panel of established insurers including AIG, Allianz, Chubb, Lloyd's, and Intact, positioning itself as an intermediary that can match client risk profiles with appropriate carrier capacity across both domestic and global markets. Its revenue model is commission-based: Groupe Afer earns placement commissions from carriers for each policy bound, with economics tied to premium volume, line of business mix, and carrier agreement terms. The firm maintains a digital presence through its website, which includes an online quote submission system alongside informational content for prospective clients.

The company's positioning emphasizes a relationship-driven brokerage model rather than a direct-to-consumer insurance product. Given its 40-year operating history and the absence of disclosed M&A activity, capital raises, or headcount data, the firm appears to operate as a mid-sized independent brokerage. Revenue scale, customer count, and growth rate are not publicly disclosed, and the technology footprint is limited to standard web analytics and forms rather than proprietary underwriting or AI-driven tooling.

Name

Groupe Afer

Legal name

Le Groupe AFER Ltée

Website

https://groupeafer.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Groupe Afer is a Montreal-based insurance brokerage founded in 1984 that places personal, commercial, and specialty insurance coverage with a panel of major carriers for individuals and businesses across Canada, primarily in Quebec.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Montréal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Insurance brokerage commissions: Groupe Afer earns commissions from insurance companies for placing coverage on behalf of clients. The company acts as an intermediary (broker) between customers and insurers, earning a percentage of the premium as compensation. This is a recurring revenue model tied to policy renewals and new policy placements.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Groupe Afer is a Montreal-based insurance brokerage that places personal, commercial, and specialty insurance coverage on behalf of clients with a panel of major Canadian and international insurance carriers. The firm analyzes client risk, designs tailored coverage programs, manages claims, and provides risk-management consulting and surety bonding services across Quebec and Canada.

Product overview

Groupe Afer is a Montreal-based insurance brokerage operating as a comprehensive insurance product platform offering both individual and commercial lines. The portfolio includes core personal insurance products (automobile, home, prestige, leisure vehicles, home workers) and commercial insurance (construction, manufacturing, transportation, hospitality, SMEs, wholesale distribution, IT/multimedia, real estate, and professionals). Specialized insurance offerings encompass Errors & Omissions, marine/transport, agricultural, unusual risks, environmental, aviation, Directors & Officers, and cybersecurity. Supporting services include claims management, surety bonds, and risk management consulting. The company operates as a broker working with multiple insurance partners to provide tailored coverage.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Assurance Automobile Automobile insurance covering vehicle protection, liability coverage, and optional protections for borrowed or rented vehicles, primarily for Quebec drivers.
• Assurance Habitation Home insurance covering houses, condos, seasonal residences, and rental properties, including worldwide liability protection.
• Assurance de Prestige High-end insurance for luxury residences and high-value vehicles including collector cars, with VIP claims processing and priority assistance.
• Assurance Véhicules de Loisirs Insurance for recreational vehicles including motorcycles, snowmobiles, RVs, caravans, and watercraft.
• Assurance Travailleurs à Domicile Insurance for home workers covering professional equipment, liability, and business-related risks associated with working from home.
• Assurance Problème d'Assurabilité Specialized insurance solutions for individuals who have difficulty obtaining standard coverage due to risk factors like accident history or high-risk property locations.
• Assurance Construction et Entrepreneur Construction insurance covering contractors, project managers, and builders with protections for equipment, tools, liability, and environmental risks.
• Assurance Garages et Automobiles Commerciales Commercial auto and garage insurance covering vehicle fleets, repair shops, car dealerships, body shops, and service stations including customs bonding.
• Assurance Manufactures et Transformation Manufacturing insurance covering production facilities, equipment breakdown, product liability, recall costs, and food processing operations.
• Assurance Transport Transportation insurance for fleet operators covering vehicles, cargo, facilities, and risk prevention for carriers of all sizes.
• Assurance Hôtellerie, Restauration et Bars Insurance for hotels, restaurants, bars, caterers, and hospitality businesses covering property, liability, equipment, and cyber risks.
• Assurance PME et Détaillants Tailored insurance programs for small and medium enterprises and retailers covering property, liability, and business interruption.
• Assurance Grossistes et Distributeurs Wholesale and distribution insurance covering property, cargo, credit, cyber risks, contamination, recall, and supply chain liabilities.
• Assurance T.I. et Multimédia Technology and multimedia insurance covering IT consultants, software developers, web agencies, and telecom providers with E&O and contract termination coverage.
• Assurance Immobilier Real estate insurance for property managers, condo associations, and landlords covering buildings, liability, environmental risks, and cyber coverage.
• Assurance Professionnels Professional insurance for various service providers including medical clinics, law firms, engineering firms, accounting firms, and veterinary clinics.
• Assurance Erreurs et Omissions Professional liability (E&O) insurance protecting businesses from client financial losses due to errors, omissions, or negligence in service delivery.
• Assurance Maritime et Transport International Marine and international transport insurance covering vessels, cargo, shipyard operations, and global import/export through Stock Throughput policies.
• Assurance Agricole Agricultural insurance for farms of all sizes covering buildings, livestock, equipment, crops, maple producers, and agricultural products.
• Assurance Risques Non Usuels Non-standard risk insurance covering vacant buildings, short-term rentals, high-risk tenants, seasonal risks, and unusual exposures such as terrorism.
• Assurance Environnementale Environmental liability insurance covering pollution, depollution, storage tanks, and environmental responsibility for various industries and consultants.
• Assurance Aviation Aviation insurance covering private planes, helicopters, commercial drones, hull insurance, and product liability for the aviation sector.
• Assurance Administrateurs et Dirigeants Directors and Officers (D&O) liability insurance protecting board members and executives from personal liability for mismanagement and negligence.
• Assurance Cybersécurité Cybersecurity insurance covering data breaches, hacking, network security failures, extortion, and liability from unauthorized access for businesses of all sizes.
• Gestion des Sinistres Claims management services including 24-hour emergency support, documentation assistance, technical loss reports, and self-insured amount management.
• Cautionnement Surety bond services for contractors replacing cash collateral with financial guarantees for contract execution and compliance.
• Gestion des Risques Risk management consulting services including risk identification, assessment, and mitigation strategy development for long-term cost reduction.

Quantifiable outcome

• 47% of cyber attacks in Canada target SMEs, underscoring the importance of specialized coverage
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AIG CanadacoreOthersAIG Canada is listed as an insurer partner on the claims page, providing emergency claims assistance (1-800-235-8784). Groupe Afer places client coverage with AIG for various commercial and specialty risks.
• Allianz Global Corporate & SpecialtycoreOthersAllianz is listed as an insurance partner for emergency claims (1-416-849-4555). Groupe Afer works with Allianz for specialty commercial lines including marine and aviation coverage.
• April MarinecoreOthersApril Marine is listed as a market intermediary partner for marine insurance. They provide emergency claims contact (1-888-671-3030) for clients with maritime coverage.
• Aviva (Avivia)coreOthersAviva/Avivia is listed as an insurer partner with emergency claims line (1-866-692-8482). Groupe Afer places both personal and commercial coverage with Aviva.
• BI&I (Berkshire Hathaway)coreOthersBI&I (Berkshire Hathaway Insurance) is listed as an insurer partner with emergency claims number (1-888-659-2434). Specializes in complex commercial risks.
• ChubbcoreOthersChubb is listed as an insurer partner with emergency claims contact (1-800-532-4822). Known for specialty lines including high-value personal and commercial coverage.
• Croix Bleue du QuébecminorOthersCroix Bleue du Québec is listed as an insurer partner with emergency claims line (1-800-387-2538).
• DAS CanadaminorOthersDAS Canada is listed as an insurer partner specializing in legal expense insurance, with emergency claims line (1-888-582-5586).
• Economical InsurancecoreOthersEconomical Insurance is listed as an insurer partner with emergency claims line (1-888-875-8088).
• Estrie Richelieu (Le Groupe)coreOthersEstrie Richelieu is listed as an insurer partner with emergency claims line (1-800-363-8971).
• Intact AssurancecoreOthersIntact Assurance is listed as an insurer partner with emergency claims line (1-866-464-2424). Intact is a major Canadian P&C insurer with which Groupe Afer places significant volume.
• Lloyd's (London Market)coreOthersLloyd's is listed as an insurer with emergency claims contact (1-866-682-5666). Used for specialty and complex risks that fall outside standard market capacity.
• Northbridge AssurancecoreOthersNorthbridge Assurance is listed as an insurer partner with emergency claims line (1-855-621-6262), specializing in commercial lines.
• Optimum Assurance AgricolecoreOthersOptimum Assurance Agricole is listed as an insurer partner with emergency claims line (1-800-567-9369), specializing in agricultural insurance.
• Optimum Société d'AssurancecoreOthersOptimum Société d'Assurance is listed as an insurer partner with emergency claims line (1-855-588-7613).
• Pafco / PembridgeminorOthersPafco/Pembridge is listed as an insurer partner with emergency claims line (1-877-463-2727).
• La SouveraineminorOthersLa Souveraine is listed as an insurer partner with emergency claims line (1-877-268-5888).
• L'UniqueminorOthersL'Unique is listed as an insurer partner with emergency claims line (1-800-463-4800).
• ZurichcoreOthersZurich is listed as an insurer partner with emergency claims line (1-866-345-3454). Used for commercial and specialty lines coverage.
• Cime cabinet d'assurances IncminorOthersCime cabinet d'assurances Inc is listed as a market intermediary partner with a presence in the Quebec insurance market.
• Coast Underwriters LtdminorOthersCoast Underwriters Ltd is listed as a market intermediary partner operating in the Canadian insurance market.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Beneva: Quebec-headquartered insurance mutual formed from the merger of La Capitale and SSQ Insurance, distributing personal and commercial insurance across Quebec. Comparable as a Quebec-based insurance distributor with overlapping personal and commercial lines.
• BFL Canada: One of Canada's largest independent commercial insurance brokerages with strong specialty lines (marine, aviation, construction, cyber). Highly comparable as a Canadian specialty broker competing for similar commercial and complex-risk accounts.
• Westland Insurance Group: Canadian independent insurance brokerage with a broad personal and commercial book across multiple provinces. Comparable as a Canadian multi-line independent broker competing for similar personal lines and SME business.
• Lloyd Sadd Insurance Brokers: Western Canada-headquartered independent brokerage serving commercial and personal clients across multiple provinces with multi-carrier access. Comparable as a Canadian multi-line independent broker with similar consultative distribution model.

Others

• Navigators Insurance Group (Travelers): Specialty insurer underwriting marine, aviation, and environmental liability — lines Groupe Afer places through specialty markets. Comparable as a capacity provider behind many of Groupe Afer's specialty placements.

Broad incumbents

• Hub International: Large North American insurance brokerage serving commercial and personal lines across Canada. Comparable multi-carrier brokerage with similar specialty and personal lines exposure, though at significantly greater scale.
• Marsh Canada: Canadian arm of Marsh McLennan, one of the world's largest insurance brokerages and risk advisors. Comparable as a multi-carrier commercial and specialty broker, though serving much larger enterprise clients from global capacity.
• Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (Canada): Global insurance brokerage with substantial Canadian operations focused on commercial and specialty lines. Comparable as a multi-carrier broker competing for complex commercial placements.
• Aon Canada: Canadian operations of global insurance brokerage Aon. Comparable as a multi-carrier commercial and specialty broker competing in the same Canadian risk advisory and placement market as Groupe Afer's enterprise practice.

Emerging players

• BrokerLink (Intact Financial): Canadian retail brokerage network owned by Intact Financial, distributing primarily Intact-issued policies through branch locations. Comparable as a Quebec/Canada broker channel, though captive to a single carrier and growing via acquisitions of independent brokerages.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Afer2006

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Groupe Afer