Cinven and La Caisse to jointly acquire leading specialty MGA platform, Optio

MONTRÉAL and LONDON, July 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- International private equity firm, Cinven, together with global investment group, La Caisse (formerly CDPQ), today announce that they have reached an agreement to acquire Optio Group ('Optio' or 'the Company'), a leading specialty insurance Managing General Agent ('MGA') platform headquartered in the UK. Financial details of the transaction are not disclosed.

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 UK, Europe, the US, 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 sub-sector 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. Cinven and La Caisse believe Optio represents a compelling investment opportunity based on several attractive characteristics:

• Exposure to a structurally growing end-market: Specialty MGAs are expected to continue to outgrow the broader Property & Casualty insurance sector, supported by structural tailwinds including carriers' growing appetite for specialty risks and the continued migration of underwriting talent to MGA platforms like Optio;
• A high-quality, capital-light business model: Optio's portfolio of niche specialty risks is diversified by both product and geography and underpinned by a strong long-term track record of disciplined, low-loss-ratio underwriting;
• A proven track record of attracting and retaining leading underwriting talent: Optio's underwriting capabilities combine deep sector expertise with a strong track record of high-quality execution, underpinning its position as an emerging leader in the sector as well as its long-tenured relationships across brokers and capacity provider networks;
• Significant opportunity for continued organic and inorganic growth: The business is well-positioned to accelerate its long-term growth trajectory through a combination of organic growth and by executing a pipeline of value accretive M&A opportunities in a highly fragmented market; and
• An exceptional management and leadership team led by CEO, Deepak Soni. 
  

This transaction builds on the Cinven Funds' extensive expertise and long track record of investing in the specialty underwriting and broader financial services sector, including investments in Compre, Miller and Policy Expert. For La Caisse, the investment reflects a longstanding global focus on insurance and insurance-related platforms, with experience across Europe, North America and Australia.

Luigi Sbrozzi, Partner and Co-Head of the Strategic Funds at Cinven said: "Optio is a marquee opportunity in the MGA space, a financial services sub-sector where Cinven has deep expertise and a strong track record. Deepak and the wider management team have built a leading and differentiated home for specialty underwriting talent, and we are excited to partner with them as they continue to scale the business both organically and through further M&A. We are also delighted to be partnering with La Caisse on this transaction and look forward to working together to support Optio's next phase of growth."

Martin Longchamps, Executive Vice-President and Head of Private Equity and Private Credit at La Caisse, added: "Specialty insurance is a market where technical underwriting expertise, disciplined risk selection and scale increasingly matter. Optio is well positioned in that environment, with a differentiated platform serving complex insurance markets, a strong European base and clear international growth potential. Our investment reflects La Caisse's conviction in the long-term fundamentals of the sector, our experience across the insurance value chain, and our focus on backing high-quality businesses alongside sophisticated, like-minded partners."

Deepak Soni, CEO of Optio, commented: "We are delighted to welcome Cinven and La Caisse as our partners as we embark on the next chapter of the Optio story. Over the past few years, with the support of Preservation Capital Partners, we have successfully built a diversified global platform through investment in our teams and the acquisition of high-quality specialist MGAs. Throughout this period, we have remained focused on delivering strong underwriting results for our insurer partners and outstanding service to our brokers. We are confident that, together with our new shareholder group, we will continue to build on these foundations, pursuing our growth strategy and expanding our capabilities while preserving the entrepreneurial culture and specialist expertise that define our business."

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

ABOUT CINVEN

Cinven is a leading international private equity firm focused on building world-class global and European companies. Its funds invest in six key sectors: Business Services, Consumer, Financial Services, Healthcare, Industrials and Technology, Media and Telecommunications (TMT). Cinven has offices in London, New York, Frankfurt, Paris, Milan, Madrid and Luxembourg.

Cinven takes a responsible approach towards its portfolio companies, their employees, suppliers, local communities, the environment and society.

In this press release 'Cinven' means, depending on the context, any of or collectively, Cinven Holdings Guernsey Limited, Cinven Partnership LLP, and their respective Associates (as defined in the Companies Act 2006) and/or funds managed or advised by any of the foregoing.

For additional information on Cinven please visit www.cinven.com and www.linkedin.com/company/cinven/.

ABOUT LA CAISSE

For more than 60 years, La Caisse has invested with a dual mandate: generate optimal long-term returns for its 48 depositors, who represent over six million Quebecers, while contributing to Québec's economic development.

As a global investment group, La Caisse is active in major financial markets, private equity, infrastructure, real estate and private credit. As at December 31, 2025, its net assets totalled CAD 517 billion. Learn more at LaCaisse.com, LinkedIn and Instagram.

La Caisse is a registered trademark of Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec that is protected in Canada and other jurisdictions and licensed for use by its subsidiaries.

For more information

Cinven

Clare Bradshaw
+44 (0)7881 918 967
[email protected]

Alison Raymond
+44 (0)7826 856198
[email protected]

Brunswick Group (Advisers to Cinven)
[email protected]

Joanna Donne
+44 (0)7834 307 881
[email protected]

Max McGahan
+44 (0) 7834 502369
[email protected]

La Caisse
Conrad Harrington
Senior Director – International Media Relations
+ 1 514 847-5493
[email protected]

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SOURCE La Caisse