Clear Group managing general agents Accelerate Underwriting and Thomond Underwriting have both rebranded to fall under the consolidator’s Shape umbrella. Accelerate Underwriting is now Shape Digital, while Thomond Underwriting becomes Shape Underwriting Ireland.

New Energy Risk has secured Lloyd’s coverholder status for its tax credit insurance business. Oak Global sponsored NER’s application and will underwrite the business through Syndicate 2843. The coverholder status was granted through NER’s parent, Paragon Insurance Group.

Average motor premiums nudged up by 0.2% in Q1 to reach £560, according to data from the Association of British Insurers. The professional body said premiums were still £20 lower than they were in Q1 2025. In contrast, it said the average accidental damage claim increased to £3,699, up 8% on the previous quarter.

Broker Direct has partnered with China Taiping to create a suite of property insurance products. A residential property owners product will be the first to launch in the coming months. Broker Direct said commercial property owners, home and commercial combined products would follow. China Taiping’s capacity is A-rated by Fitch.

Insurance software provider Insly has launched a new claims portal for managing general agents and insurers that it says empowers customers from first notification of loss through to settlement.

Brown and Brown has teamed up with managing general agent Progeny Underwriting to offer its brokers exclusive access to Progeny’s agricultural proposition. The proposition includes core farm and motor covers as well as products for livestock herd and disease risks. Brokers will also get access to Progeny Protect.

Electric vehicle manufacturer BYD has named insurtech bolttech as its preferred partner for embedded insurance in its primary European markets. The partnership is already live in the UK and Italy, France, Germany and Spain will follow this year.

MoneySuperMarket has added home and pet insurance to the products available via its new app in ChatGPT. In February, the comparison website, which is part of Mony Group, announced that customers would be able to use ChatGPT to secure motor insurance quotes.

Marsh has agreed a multi-year deal with Formula 1 that makes it the motor sport’s official risk partner and official insurance broking partner. The agreement gives Marsh in-person networking and trackside branding opportunities as well as the ability to create guest experiences at races worldwide.

Aviva has penned a multi-year agreement with DQPro, which has now implemented its data validation software into Aviva’s global, corporate and specialty business division. Aviva says this will enable it to identify and resolve data issues more quickly and to reduce its compliance risk.

JMG Group says its annual gross written premium has now hit £500m and that it is targeting £1bn within the next five years. The consolidator has completed more than 70 acquisitions since 2020, the year in which CEO Nick Houghton led a management buyout of JM Glendinning with backing from private equity firm Synova. Last year, private equity firms GTCR and Synova LLP acquired JMG Group.

Ascend Insurance Holdings has secured authorisation from the Financial Conduct Authority and has private equity backing of up to £200m to build a regional broking platform. Private equity firm Inflexion acquired Ascend Broking Group in January and the Essex-based broker says it has since had preliminary discussions with around 10 broker firms about joining its new platform.

Arc Legal Group has developed a rent guarantee insurance product with Markerstudy Distribution. The scheme will be available to landlord customers through Swinton Insurance, which is part of Markerstudy Distribution. It adds to the legal expenses cover that Arc Legal already provides to residential property owners through Swinton Insurance.

Broker Adrian Flux has renewed its premium finance partnership with Premium Credit, which dates back more than 20 years to 2004. Going forward, the firms say the focus will be on enabling a wider range of customers to secure quick and easy approvals for finance.

Digital broker Simply Business, which focuses on small business and landlords, has launched an app in ChatGPT, which connects the technology platform to Simply Business’s indicative pricing functionality. Users can now receive an indicative price for cover by submitting their trade, annual turnover, years in business and UK postcode.

Allianz UK has agreed a multi-year partnership that allows it to continue distributing home, motor and pet insurance under the LV= brand. Allianz acquired LV’s general insurance business in 2019 and rebranded LV= Broker to Allianz in 2024. It was expected the direct business would also be rebranded.