The rapid expansion of the US managing general agent (MGA) market is putting greater pressure on insurers and intermediaries to modernise the systems supporting underwriting, distribution and operations.
Insurance technology provider Novidea is targeting this challenge with a platform designed to bring core MGA functions onto a shared data infrastructure, as firms contend with rising premiums, higher submission volumes and growing demands from capacity partners.
Data from Conning’s 2026 MGA Study cited by Novidea shows US MGA premiums increasing from $102bn in 2023 to $114bn in 2024 before reaching $128bn in 2025. Growth across specialty and excess and surplus (E&S) insurance, combined with demand for specialist underwriting and flexible capacity, has helped expand the market.
However, larger portfolios and more complex operations can also expose weaknesses in the technology stack. MGAs need to process submissions quickly, maintain reliable data across businesses and provide capacity providers with increasingly detailed portfolio information.
Novidea identifies speed, data, transparency and AI adoption as four areas creating pressure for growing MGAs.
Submission volumes can make manual processes a significant drain on underwriting capacity, while expansion across products, entities and acquisitions can leave businesses working with disconnected information. At the same time, capacity providers are demanding more timely reporting and portfolio visibility.
AI adds another layer to the challenge. As insurers move beyond experimentation and begin deploying AI within live operations, MGAs face pressure to demonstrate that the technology is delivering measurable business value rather than simply adding another tool to an already fragmented technology environment.
Novidea’s approach is to bring distribution and broker management, underwriting and placement, policy administration and capacity management, claims and finance onto a single platform.
The system connects functions including binder and delegated authority management, bordereaux, claims, financial data and portfolio reporting. The aim is to give MGAs a common data foundation while reducing the need to move information between separate systems.
Novidea’s underwriting workflow covers submission intake, clearance, appetite and eligibility, enrichment and assessment. The company says the process converts submissions and supporting documentation into structured underwriting information, reducing repetitive administrative work.
Based on interviews with users and subject matter experts, Novidea claims its platform can save underwriters around three hours per day. The figure is a company-reported productivity estimate rather than an independently verified industry benchmark.
The platform is also built around APIs, allowing MGAs to connect external underwriting applications, data providers and other insurance technology. Novidea says its configuration capabilities allow businesses to introduce new products and programmes while supporting differences in regulations, tax, currencies and languages.
The company currently serves more than 350 customers across 23 countries.
Bishop Street Underwriters provides an example of how the platform is being used by a growing MGA/MGU organisation. The business operates across more than 60 users and three legal entities, with Novidea supporting multiple MGA operations.
The platform is being used to standardise workflows across the organisation, consolidate information from acquired and existing businesses and provide dashboards giving management a consolidated view of portfolio performance.
Bishop Street Underwriters COO Chris Klimek said, “We now have a scalable technology platform that gives us confidence in our data, helps us operate more efficiently, and positions us for long-term growth.”
For MGAs, the technology challenge is increasingly moving beyond individual processes. As businesses expand through new products, acquisitions and additional capacity relationships, the ability to connect underwriting, financial and operational data could become increasingly important to maintaining visibility as the market grows.
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