Houlihan Lokey Advises Cinven and La Caisse

Houlihan Lokey is pleased to announce that Cinven, an international private equity firm, together with global investment group La Caisse (formerly CDPQ), has signed an agreement to acquire Optio Group (Optio), a leading specialty insurance managing general agent (MGA) platform headquartered in the U.K.

Founded in 2018 and headquartered in London, Optio originates, underwrites, and manages specialty risk on behalf of more than 60 third-party capacity providers. The business underwrites a highly diversified portfolio of specialty risks across six business lines—Profession & Specialty, Transportation, Property & Energy, Healthcare, Transactional Liability, and Surety & Credit—spanning more than 30 products. The company has an established European core with an international footprint, comprising 18 offices across 15 countries spanning the U.K., Europe, the U.S., the Middle East, and Asia. A key point of differentiation for Optio is its strong track record of attracting and retaining high-calibre underwriting talent, which in turn drives its leading underwriting performance.

Cinven and La Caisse each have deep experience in the specialty underwriting subsector and have both been tracking Optio for a long time. The Cinven team has known the company’s management team for more than two years and, together with La Caisse, has built a strong relationship with management.

The transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.

Houlihan Lokey served as the buyside M&A advisor to Cinven and La Caisse. This transaction further strengthens Houlihan Lokey’s leadership in the U.K. and European insurance MGU/MGA sector, following its role as advisor to FTV Capital on the acquisition of Carbon Underwriting.

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