Blackthorn, the global risk advisor and Lloyd's insurance broker, has sold its subsidiary, Samphire Risk, through a CEO-led buyout supported by Kantara Capital.
The deal was described as a key milestone in Blackthorn's ongoing strategy to sharpen its focus on advisory and insurance services across malicious risk and hostile environment sectors.
By divesting Samphire, the firm said it is able to reallocate capital and resources to accelerate growth in its core specialisms and strengthen its market position. The move follows the company's recent rebrand from CHC Global to Blackthorn, part of a wider repositioning..
Samphire Risk, a managing general agent operating in the malicious risk space, will now continue independently under the leadership of its chief executive, Charlie Hanbury. He noted that Blackthorn’s support over the past four years had been instrumental in building the MGA, and that the two businesses will maintain a commercial relationship as Samphire embarks on its next growth phase.
Blackthorn managing director Julian Vero said that the sale was a timely decision to realise value from a successful MGA in a fast-expanding segment. He added that Blackthorn expects to remain a close partner to Samphire while pursuing its own growth cycle as a dedicated risk advisor and broker.
In the London Market, specialist MGAs are attracting strong investor interest, particularly in high-growth and emerging risk sectors. By backing Samphire's management team, Kantara Capital is reinforcing the role of MGAs as agile players capable of bringing niche expertise and product innovation to the market.
For Blackthorn, the decision to divest reflected how Lloyd's brokers and advisors are increasingly streamlining their portfolios to concentrate on areas where they can deliver greater differentiation and advisory value.
The move also underscores the rising importance of capital efficiency in a competitive marketplace, where firms are balancing expansion with sharper focus on profitable, specialist lines.
