Insurer Canopius has opened a new office in Manchester which it says will serve as the home of its global operational functions. Located at 100 Barbirolli Square, the office will be the firm’s second largest location after London.

Data from Defaqto showed that average home insurance premiums fell by 0.7% during Q1 of this year and are down by 1.5% over the last two quarters. On an annualised basis, Defaqto said home insurance premiums were 9.9% lower than they were in March 2025.

Axa Insurance UK’s commercial division has struck up a renewable energy partnership with Lime Underwriting. Under the deal, Axa Insurance UK has given delegated authority to Lime Underwriting to support its provision of decommissioning products for the UK’s renewable energy sector.

Insurtech platform Bertie is expanding its focus from the managing general agent market to the broker market. The platform supports the insurance process from risk submission to underwriting, document production and bordereaux management.

Premium finance provider Premium Credit has teamed up with employee competence specialist Elephants Don’t Forget to enhance team performance and boost the level of service offered to customers. Under the deal, Premium Credit will use Clever Nelly, which is Elephants Don’t Forget’s AI-powered assessment platform.

Digital insurance provider Ripe has joined the Managing General Agents’ Association. Ripe has a portfolio of more than 20 products and serves 430,000 customers across consumer and SME markets. It has a turnover of more than £20m. It launched in 1998 with a golf insurance product.

Catastrophe insurance data provider Perils has updated its loss estimate for Storm Goretti to £417m. This is up by £10m on the initial figure given in the weeks after the January windstorm hit southwestern England. The estimate covers motor and property insurance losses.

Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, will be a keynote speaker at the British Insurance Brokers’ Association conference and is scheduled to address delegates on 13th May. He is currently serving his third term as mayor, having secured re-election in 2024.

Premium finance provider PremFina has announced a £100m expansion to its existing funding partnership with Waterfall Asset Management. PremFina said the new agreement would strengthen its balance sheet and support its growth strategy. It builds on a £350m private securitisation facility from HSBC and Waterfall Asset Management that the firm announced in June 2025.

Managing general agent Dual has expanded its ability to write larger cyber and technology risks after securing backing from a consortium of A-rated capacity partners led by Liberty. Dual said the deal allowed it to better support mid-market businesses.

Willis has agreed to retain Premium Credit as its premium finance provider for a further three years, building on a relationship that began 23 years ago. The new deal incorporates increased automatic approval limits, a new process to support larger and more complex customers and enhanced data sharing.

Chubb has added four industry-specific products to its mid-market commercial combined proposition – MasterPackage. They are office professions and surgery; retail and shops; manufacturing; and wholesale and distribution. Chubb’s MasterPackage proposition now has products aimed at 10 specific sectors.

The average claim for a missing diamond has jumped by 33% from £7,618 in 2024 to £10,157 in 2025, according to Aviva. The insurer said it had also recorded a 13% rise in the number of claims for missing diamonds during the same period.

Data from Defaqto’s latest general insurance price index shows that average motor premiums in Q1 2026 rose by 1.4% during the quarter. They remain 6.8% lower than a year ago and more than 23% lower than two years ago. On a longer-term horizon, Defaqto said premiums were up by 9.1% since the beginning of 2020.

Acrisure UK Broking has added four firms to its platform, They are managing general agent Confidas and brokers Heathwoods Insurance and Financial Services, Marrs Insurance Brokers and Smith Greenfield Services. The additions boost Acrisure’s plans to grow its influence in the UK retail broking market.

Hybrid insurer Bridgehaven Europe Specialty DAC has signed a capacity deal with managing general agent Arrow Risk Management GMBH. Arrow has a focus on underwriting risks associated with technology products and services, providing global technology errors and omissions coverage on either a standalone or combined basis.