Inflexion, a leading European mid-market private equity firm, is pleased to announce the launch of a new insurance broking platform with a cornerstone investment in the Ascend Broking Group (“Ascend”).  

Ascend, based in Chelmsford, Essex, specialises in commercial lines, healthcare and value-add risk management solutions. The business has grown to around 30 employees since launch in 2017 and has won 19 major industry awards. Founder Matthew Collins, who previously held senior roles at FMW, Oval and AJ Gallagher, will be the Group Managing Director of the acquisition platform.

Inflexion has a strong track record in building market-leading regional brokers.  In 2017 it acquired and merged Bollington Insurance Brokers and F Wilsons Insurance Brokers, creating the largest independent broker in the north of England.  Inflexion subsequently acquired insurance broker David Roberts & Partners in February 2021, completing 13 acquisitions in three years. Ascend is the first of several acquisitions of insurance brokers Inflexion plans to make through its platform with the aim of building a group of between four and six regional broking powerhouse hubs across the country.

The new platform will champion the regional insurance broking market by taking on the operational burden that increasingly weighs on independent brokers from regulatory compliance to IT systems, infrastructure and back-office finance. This frees founders and their teams to focus on what they do best and enjoy most - looking after clients and developing their people. Inflexion will also work flexibly with founders considering their succession plans.

The investment is being made by Inflexion’s Enterprise Fund VI, which closed at £975 million in 2024.  The fund has significant capacity to provide funding for future acquisitions.