Starr has completed its acquisition of IQUW Group, bringing together the two businesses to create a larger specialty re/insurance platform spanning the London market, Bermuda and UK motor.
The transaction strengthens Starr’s position at Lloyd's of London, where the addition of IQUW’s managing agency increases its scale, making it the ninth-largest managing agent in the market. The combined business now writes across a broader range of specialty classes and geographies, with an expanded client and broker base.
A key element of the deal is the integration of reinsurance capabilities. IQUW’s Bermuda-based reinsurer and its London market reinsurance operations will now operate under the Starr Re brand, consolidating inward reinsurance activities within the group.
This adds to Starr’s existing platform and increases its ability to deploy capital across different regions and lines of business. The reinsurance portfolio is expected to span multiple geographies, reflecting both companies’ existing footprints.
In 2025, IQUW Group reported gross written premium of $1.88 billion, including business from IQUW’s Syndicate 1856, ERS (Syndicate 218) and IQUW Re Bermuda. As part of the integration, Syndicate 1856 will be rebranded under the Starr name, while ERS - described as a specialist UK motor insurer at Lloyd’s - will continue to operate under its existing brand. Starr’s Syndicate 1919 remains unchanged.
The deal reflects a continued focus among global re/insurers on building scale and diversifying specialty portfolios, particularly in the London market and Bermuda. Recent years have seen a number of transactions aimed at expanding underwriting capabilities, strengthening distribution and increasing access to capital.
Companies including Arch Capital Group and RenaissanceRe have also pursued acquisitions or portfolio expansions to grow their presence in specialty and reinsurance lines, particularly where opportunities exist to combine underwriting expertise with data and technology capabilities.
The combined Starr business now operates across multiple hubs, including London and Bermuda, with an expanded product set covering property, casualty, accident and health, and a range of specialty lines such as aviation, marine and energy.
The transaction received all required regulatory approvals. Financial terms were not disclosed.
As with similar deals, the integration will focus on aligning underwriting operations, branding and distribution while maintaining existing relationships with brokers and clients across key markets.
