Two UK-linked specialty players buy into Norway and Cyprus as the European acquisition appetite holds
Two UK-linked specialty insurance businesses have announced acquisitions to expand in Europe. Optio Group has bought Norwegian aquaculture managing general agent (MGA) SAFE Forsikring, and Gibraltar-based Taurus Insurance Services has acquired Status Insurance Management, the business behind the Europesure brand. Financial terms were not disclosed for either deal.
Optio adds Norwegian aquaculture specialist
Optio has acquired SAFE Forsikring for an undisclosed sum. Founded in 2012 by Thore Amundsen and Espen Stange and based in Oslo, SAFE underwrites aquaculture, offshore energy and marine risks through delegated binding authorities. It has built a leading position in aquaculture insurance, serving many of the sector’s largest operators in Norway and internationally.
SAFE will join Optio’s Norwegian platform alongside S Insurance and AGS Forsikring, with Amundsen continuing to lead the business.
“Thore, Espen and their team have built a truly specialist underwriting business with an outstanding reputation in the aquaculture market,” said Deepak Soni, chief executive of Optio Group.
The deal is Optio’s latest European move. It recently launched Pinnacle Specialty Insurance, an Amsterdam-based transactional risk MGA serving the European Economic Area. It follows Cinven and La Caisse agreeing to take a majority stake in Optio in July 2026, with Optio saying the investment would support expansion into new specialist lines and international markets.
Taurus buys Europesure owner
Taurus Insurance Services, a Gibraltar-based lifestyle insurance specialist best known for gadget and travel insurance, has acquired Status Insurance Management. Status operates in the UK and Cyprus, holds Lloyd’s coverholder capabilities, and distributes through brokers, financial advisers, travel agents and affiliate partners.
Its products include Europesure travel insurance for UK and European residents, corporate travel insurance, international private medical insurance and student insurance. Status will continue trading under its existing brands, including Europesure.
James Cottrell, managing director of Taurus, said the deal would let the group accelerate its European plans by drawing on an established business with deep market knowledge, rather than building from scratch. He said Taurus intended to expand the range of products offered through the Europesure platform over time.
The acquisition builds on Taurus’s recent European build-out, including its Dutch subsidiary, Switched On Insurance Cooperative, opened in Eindhoven in September 2025, and the launch of Switched On Insurance in Ireland in February 2026.
Specialty keeps attracting buyers
Both deals reflect the continued appetite for specialty and MGA businesses across Europe. UK-based specialists have particular incentive to own subsidiaries inside the European Union and the European Economic Area: doing so gives them local licences, distribution and capacity relationships that are more difficult to access from the UK since Brexit.
For marine and energy brokers, Optio’s purchase of SAFE brings a niche aquaculture specialist into a larger, well-funded MGA group. That should add resources and market access, while the founders’ continued leadership points to continuity for existing brokers and clients.
For travel and health brokers and partners of Europesure, Taurus’s acquisition brings new investment behind established brands. Brokers distributing through the Europesure platform should expect product expansion as Taurus scales its European operation.
