UBI, an MGA focused on the French construction market, was founded in 2014 by four industry veterans who saw an opportunity to bring a fresh perspective to the market. Their vision was to cut through the bureaucracy and challenges of the market by working closely with brokers to offer tailored solutions and a client-centric approach.
The French construction market is dominated by a handful of established players, and there is a strong protective attitude toward new entrants. This makes it challenging for innovative players like UBI to establish a foothold. But just as UBI managed to overcome these challenges by leveraging its strength in excellent service and a more personal touch to brokers and clients, a new challenge emerged: its carrier decided to change strategy and walk away from the market.
This existential risk to UBI sparked a conversation with Accelerant, as their mutual interest in serving niches like the French construction market dovetailed with Accelerant’s desire to expand in Europe. UBI’s approach resonated strongly with the Accelerant team. Their work is highly qualitative, focused on building strong relationships, rather than pursuing a solely quantitative approach that focuses only on volume. UBI is also known for being highly responsive and accessible, which further sets them apart from the competition.
UBI needed a trusted partner who could offer long-term, reliable support. Of course, any MGA relies on its underwriting partner to operate. That’s why at Accelerant, reliable capacity is essential for operating as an MGA. Forming trusted partnerships enables Accelerant to add even more value on the data and risk decisioning side of the equation. Yet all too often, speciality underwriters find their capacity and relationships subject to the whims of incumbent players, with no control at the end of the day over their business growth. Moving to Accelerant allows Members to concentrate on what they do best. In fact, when Members move to Accelerant, they see an average of 35% GWP growth.
Today, UBI is growing its presence and making waves as it reshapes how French construction businesses are served, backed by the confidence of Accelerant’s long-term commitment and differentiated approach to portfolio management and data insights.