Ex-Hiscox trio launch new Lloyd's re/insurer Inigo with $800m capital

Richard Watson's  specialty re/insurance start-up Inigo has raised $800 million capital from a consortium of firms including Enstar, JC Flowers, Stone Point, Qatar Investment Authority, Oak Hill Advisors and Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ).

The funds will give Inigo the capital base to proceed with its plans to open for business in the 2021 year of account, subject to approvals from the Corporation of Lloyd’s.

Inigo is being founded by Richard Watson, former chief underwriting officer of Hiscox who stepped down from the group last year after 33 years, along with Russell Merrett, former managing director of Hiscox London Market, and Stuart Bridges, former chief financial officer of both Hiscox and ICAP.

The company has appointed Howard Davies, chairman of NatWest Group, as its chairman. Davies was chairman of the Financial Services Authority from 1997 until 2003, director of the London School of Economics from 2003 until 2011, and chairman of Phoenix Group from 2012 until 2015.

Inigo also recently signed an agreement to acquire Lloyd’s managing agency StarStone Underwriting (SUL) and Lloyd’s Syndicate 1301 from Enstar Group and Stone Point Capital.

Inigo said the deal is intended to form the foundation for its operations as a specialty insurer, writing a streamlined portfolio of insurance and reinsurance risks. No legacy underwriting will be transferred to Inigo.

The company believes that current conditions are ideal to launch a new insurance business, at a time when demand across a number of classes of insurance and reinsurance is high. Inigo has chosen London as its principal base since it regards the overall insurance ecosystem offered by Lloyd’s as "exceptionally attractive" and believes it will best support the growth and development of the new syndicate.

Watson commented: “This significant capital raising, together with our acquisition, gives us the platform we need to turn Inigo from a concept into reality. We believe that 2021 will mark the beginning of an exciting growth phase for Lloyd’s and the London Insurance Market and Inigo will contribute to growing the specialty and reinsurance marketplace, as it returns to profitability. Sir Howard Davies joining our board validates our vision for Inigo and our determination to provide credible additional capacity and services to customers and brokers.

"We are fully supportive of the direction that John Neal, Lloyd’s CEO, is taking the market, making it a more attractive and efficient place in which to trade. For a company like ours, entirely focused on underwriting, London also has the depth of young talent we need to develop the analytical and data-led approach that is at the core of what we hope to do.”