Advent enters into exclusive negotiations to acquire Kereis, a leading European insurance broker, from Bridgepoint

Advent, a leading global private equity investor, today announced that it has entered into exclusive negotiations to acquire Kereis, a European leader in multi-channel insurance brokerage, from Bridgepoint, a leading quoted private asset growth investor. Terms of the potential transaction were not disclosed.

Founded in 1991 and headquartered in Paris, Kereis provides insurance broking services for insurers and banking partners, including the distribution of tailored solutions to a large network of retail brokers with over 1,700 dedicated employees across 7 European countries.

Kereis is France’s largest insurance broker for housing protection insurance, managing over 17 million contracts in Western Europe. Under Bridgepoint’s ownership since 2020, Kereis has doubled its revenues, transformed its tech platform and diversified strategically into corporate risk, health and P&C. As a result, Kereis has become a top 5 wholesale broker in France with a strong and growing local broker network. With Bridgepoint’s support, the firm has accelerated its development and international expansion through a dynamic M&A strategy with significant transformational transactions in the last 3 years.

Philippe Gravier, Chief Executive Officer of Kereis, on behalf of the management team stated: “This project opens a promising new chapter for Kereis, after 5 years of a successful partnership with Bridgepoint. Our unwavering commitment to provide excellent services to our business partners will remain unchanged. We look forward to working closely with Advent as we continue to invest for the long term in our digital capabilities, expand into new markets, and deliver innovative solutions to our partners and clients across Western Europe.”

Benjamin Buerstedde, Partner at Advent, said, “We congratulate the management team on successfully building Kereis into a highly differentiated platform in the insurance brokerage space. We look forward to supporting the company’s journey to expanding its leadership position in wholesale broking and remaining the partner of choice for banking and insurance partners across an attractive product range.”

Hadrien de Bardies, Director at Advent, added, “Our potential investment in Kereis builds on Advent’s long-standing track record in financial services. We will leverage our global network and operational resources to help Kereis scale further, broaden its product offering, and strengthen its leadership position in the European market.”

Vincent-Gael Baudet, Partner and Head of Bridgepoint Europe in France, said, “Since our initial investment in 2020, we’ve been dedicated to support Management in building enduring value – championing innovation, deepening client relationships, and building a European consolidating platform. The acquisition by Advent underscores the strength of long-term partnerships, the quality of the Management team led by Philippe Gravier, and reaffirms Bridgepoint’s proven track record of elevating French successes to leading positions on the world stage.”

Carl de Vergie, Partner at Bridgepoint, said, “It’s been a pleasure to work alongside the great management team at Kereis to drive accelerated growth – gaining new clients, modernising the tech platform, and doubling revenue through diversification in new products, distribution channels, and geographic expansion. All the means developed were oriented to serve the growth ambition of the group, and we’re excited to see what’s next for Kereis.”

Advent has developed significant expertise and an extensive track record investing in the business & financial services sector. In the insurance space, Advent most recently invested in CCC Intelligent Solutions, the car-insurance software provider, and Shift Technology, an AI-powered software business focused on the insurance industry. Advent has been investing in France for over 25 years having made 15 platform deals, with the most recent investments being in Parfums de Marly – INITIO in 2023 and Mangopay in 2022.

The transaction is subject to customary regulatory approval and employee consultation.

About Advent

Advent is a leading global private equity investor committed to working in partnership with management teams, entrepreneurs, and founders to help transform businesses. With 16 offices across five continents, we oversee more than EUR €88 billion in assets under management* and have made 430 investments across 44 countries.

Since our founding in 1984, we have developed specialist market expertise across our five core sectors: business & financial services, consumer, healthcare, industrial, and technology. This approach is bolstered by our deep sub-sector knowledge, which informs every aspect of our investment strategy, from sourcing opportunities to working in partnership with management to execute value creation plans. We bring hands-on operational expertise to enhance and accelerate businesses.

As one of the largest privately-owned partnerships, our 660+ colleagues leverage the full ecosystem of Advent’s global resources, including our Portfolio Support Group, insights provided by industry expert Operating Partners and Operations Advisors, as well as bespoke tools to support and guide our portfolio companies as they seek to achieve their strategic goals.

To learn more, visit our website or connect with us on LinkedIn.

*Assets under management (AUM) as of December 31, 2024. AUM includes assets attributable to Advent advisory clients as well as employee and third-party co-investment vehicles.

About Bridgepoint

Bridgepoint is one of the world’s leading quoted private asset growth investors, specialising in mid-market private equity, infrastructure and private credit. With over $75bn of assets under management and a strong local presence in Europe, North America and Asia, Bridgepoint combines global scale with local market insight and sector expertise.