Cinven and La Caisse to jointly acquire Optio from PCP
London, 27 July 2026: Preservation Capital Partners (“PCP”) today announces that it has agreed to sell its stake in Optio, the independent international specialty MGA, to international private equity firm, Cinven, together with global investment group, La Caisse (formerly CDPQ). This investment will support Optio’s next chapter as it continues to expand its specialist underwriting capabilities, broaden its product offering and grow its international presence.
Since PCP’s original investment in 2018, Optio has been transformed from a single-product MGA writing c.£35 million in annual premiums into a diversified platform writing over £460 million across 18 offices in 15 countries. This growth has been driven by more than ten acquisitions and eight team hires, alongside consistent double-digit organic growth. Today, Optio is a leading provider of specialist insurance solutions, operating across Europe, the US, the Middle East and Asia and writing over 30 products, with anchor capacity from Hiscox alongside several additional A-rated capacity providers.
This transaction builds on PCP’s credentials in the insurance distribution sector with prior investments in BMS, the global specialty (re)insurance broker; HBC, a leading commercial lines insurance broking platform in the DACH region, which PCP exited last year; and most recently BPL, the world’s leading specialist credit and political risk insurance broker. Together, these investments underline PCP’s continued ability to identify best-in-class businesses in the financial and business services sectors, and PCP’s success in scaling and actively driving value for investors.
Jeroen Bischops, Senior Partner, PCP, said: “What the Optio team have built over the past few years has been phenomenal. It has grown into one of the largest and best regarded MGA platforms in Europe, with a well-balanced and diversified portfolio supported by leading underwriting talent. It has been a privilege to support the team over this period and we are proud of what Optio has grown into during our partnership. We could not have wished for better partners for the business than Cinven and La Caisse. We look forward to following Optio’s journey as it continues to grow.”
Deepak Soni, CEO, Optio Group, said: “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 PCP, 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.”
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.”
The transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals and other closing conditions. Financial details of the transaction are not disclosed.
PCP and Optio were advised by Evercore (Financial Advisor), Skadden (Legal Advisor), Oliver Wyman (Commercial), PwC (Financial, Tax, Operations & IT, Underwriting) and Chris Patrick Consulting (Debt).
About Preservation Capital Partners (PCP)
PCP is a sector specialist private equity firm focused on investing in market leading businesses within the Financial and Business Services sectors across Western Europe. PCP currently manages c.€3bn of AuM across 3 flagship funds with offices in London and Milan.
For further information please visit preservationcapitalpartners.com
About Optio Group
Optio Group is a leading specialty MGA focused on specialty insurance risks bringing together technology and market leading underwriting capabilities. We are here to drive innovation in insurance to manage risk more effectively. By harnessing expertise and embracing technology, we strive to evolve with the needs of our business partners. Using a combination of technology and market specialists, we create new products, services and solutions that bring efficiency to the market. With an open culture and unified approach, our people aim to form strong, long-term relationships with business partners so we can exceed expectations every time.
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.