Commercial underwriter Starr is buying IQUW Group, aiming to stretch its underwriting footprint and open fresh lanes for growth across multiple global markets.
Once the deal closes, Starr’s managing agency will jump to the ninth-largest operating presence at Lloyd’s.
The company said the move broadens its classes of business and sharpens its reach into specialty and reinsurance segments worldwide.
Under the agreement, Peter Bilsby, IQUW Group’s chief executive, will take charge of Starr’s international business. He’ll work alongside Stuart Scott, who leads the U.K. and Europe/Middle East region, and José Ribeiro, president for Asia-Pacific and Latin America.
Both companies will run independently until regulatory approval and closing conditions are met – expected sometime in the first half of 2026. Financial terms haven’t been disclosed.
Jeff Greenberg, Starr’s chairman and co-CEO, said the acquisition focuses squarely on diversification and underwriting profitability. “It aligns perfectly with our philosophy,” he said. “Together, we gain a stronger foothold in the London market and build a more powerful global platform.”
IQUW brings around $1.9 bn in gross written premiums and operates two Lloyd’s syndicates: IQUW, a specialty (re)insurer writing across multiple lines, and ERS, the largest motor insurer at Lloyd’s.
It also runs IQUW Re Bermuda, a reinsurance hub that deepens the group’s presence in offshore markets.
The company’s Syndicate 1856 handles a diverse portfolio spanning specialty and property classes, with growing traction in both U.K. and international markets.
Founded on technical underwriting and data-driven risk selection, IQUW adds significant range to Starr’s portfolio.
The combined business will lean on that mix of specialty, property, and motor exposure to compete harder in the Lloyd’s arena – and, as insiders put it, to scale fast without losing its underwriting discipline.
