The sale of Atec represents Kester Capital’s fourth consecutive exit over 4x and the eighth consecutive exit over 3x.
June 2024: Kester Capital, a leading UK lower mid-market private equity firm, today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to sell Atec Group (“Atec”) to Perwyn, a leading European private equity investor. Atec, trading through Ceta Insurance and Arkel Underwriting, is a data-driven digital manufacturer and distributor of specialist insurance products in the UK.
Atec’s portfolio includes brands specialising in niche leisure, household, and SME cover (caravans, motorhomes, beach huts, boats, and let properties), as well as non-standard wholesale insurance.
Since inception, Atec has been at the forefront of tech-enabled insurance distribution and niche product and channel development. Under Kester Capital’s ownership since 2017, Atec has undergone impressive organic growth. Driven by professionalisation, strong organic growth and operational improvement:
· Customer policies have grown from 125k to 345k
· Gross Written Premiums (“GWP”) from under £25m to over £75m
· Revenue has tripled, and profit quadrupled
During its investment period Kester Capital supported Atec to:
· Build out the management team
· Develop its technology team and platform
· Broaden the platform’s product and distribution footprint
· Deepen its insurer relationships, add underwriting expertise and establish Arkel, a managing general agent
Cameron Crockett, Managing Partner at Kester Capital, said: “Atec is a fantastic business and we are delighted to have supported its transformation from a niche player to a broad based insurance distribution group, driven by technology and data. This is a perfect example of the Kester investment strategy in action – building market leaders and creating value. “It has been a pleasure working alongside Brendan, Ian, Paul, and the wider team throughout our journey. We wish the whole team and the entire business every success for the future.”
Brendan Devine, CEO of Atec, said: “Kester Capital has been an excellent partner and investor in our business and I’d like to thank them, on behalf of the entire Atec team, for working alongside us to deliver our vision. Together we’ve delivered transformative growth. I’d also like to give my personal thanks to Kester for their support, advice, and partnership since joining the business. “We’re excited to continue our journey and this investment from Perwyn is a resounding endorsement of the business we have successfully built and our future strategy.”
Perwyn’s investment will enable Atec to further strengthen and grow its position as a leading UK specialist insurance platform.
The completion of the transaction is subject to FCA regulatory approval.