Australis Partners led an equity investment into Sekura, its Mexican insurance brokerage platform, to partially finance the acquisition of Alternativas en Riesgos (AER), the leading northern Mexico insurance broker based in Monterrey. The resulting combination gives shape to the largest independent corporate insurance broker in Mexico, with over 500 employees across the country, operating in the four largest and most important markets in Mexico including Mexico City, and with a combined 8.0 billion pesos in premiums placed in health, P&C, life, auto, and sureties for 2022.
The acquisition was financed by an equity investment by Australis Partners, IFC, the private sector arm of the World Bank, and other minority partners, coupled with debt financing from Sekura’s existing bank syndicate. AER’s founders, Messrs. Federico Valdés and Eduardo Valdés, will remain with a relevant minority stake in the combined company, will continue in the company’s executive leadership and will join Sekura’s board of directors.
About Sekura
Sekura Controladora SAPI de CV is a portfolio company of Australis Partners Fund. The company is based in Mexico City and provides risk advisory services in health, P&C, life, sureties and affinity products. The company serves primarily corporate clients. Australis Partners acquired Sekura in December 2020 as part of a consolidation play in the fragmented corporate insurance broker market in Mexico. In December 2022, Sekura acquired Mi Agente, an insurance broker in Queretaro and Guadalajara, and now added AER, to more than double the size of the company since 2020.
About Australis Partners
Australis Partners is an independent private equity firm founded in 2014 by a seasoned team of senior professionals who have worked continuously for over 20 years. Australis Partners manages equity funds in Latin America with a focus on Colombia, Chile, Mexico, and Peru.
About IFC
IFC — a member of the World Bank Group — is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. We work in more than 100 countries, using our capital, expertise, and influence to create markets and opportunities in developing countries. In fiscal year 2023, IFC committed a record $43.7 billion to private companies and financial institutions in developing countries, leveraging the power of the private sector to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity as economies grapple with the impacts of global compounding crises. For more information, visit www.ifc.org
August 15, 2023