Root Platform has reported that half of managing general agents (MGAs) attending a recent market briefing remain at the earliest stages of their digital and API transformation programmes.
Delegates were asked to place their organisations on a digital transformation spectrum. According to Root, 40% said they were “just getting started,” while 10% said they were “actively exploring solutions,” meaning 50% were still in the early phases of their API journey.
A further 20% reported they were “implementing changes now,” 20% said they were “fully API-enabled,” and 10% indicated that digital transformation was “not on our roadmap yet.” Root said the findings point to a divided landscape between MGAs that have embedded APIs across their operations and those only beginning to modernise.
The company noted that this comes as speed to market, partner connectivity and operational efficiency become central to competition in the MGA sector. Root also framed API strategies as a way for MGAs to respond more quickly to changing carrier requirements and broker expectations.
As MGAs increase their reliance on APIs, security and resilience are becoming a parallel priority. Recent research cited in the UK insurance market shows that financial services organisations accounted for 27% of API-specific DDoS traffic in the first half of 2025, underlining that the same interfaces used to support real-time distribution and servicing are also being targeted by attackers.
Charlotte Koep (pictured above), CEO at Root, said: “These poll results are a sample of the market, and are representative of the growing demand we are seeing from the MGA sector for conversations around the applications and advantages of an API-first strategy.”
She added that APIs have transformed multiple industries by enabling “seamless, interoperable, real-time digital experiences,” and that insurance is following the same trajectory.
For MGAs pursuing API-first models, this trend is prompting closer scrutiny of how endpoints are designed, tested and monitored, as well as how third-party integrations are governed. Market commentators say this is pushing digital programmes to balance connectivity gains with investment in cyber controls, incident response and supplier oversight.
Koep described MGAs as “real agents of change for insurance right now,” acting as market makers that test new products, technology approaches and the potential of AI.
She said “the foundations of all of this lie with the right API-first tools” and that the shift involves rethinking operations, compressing product launch cycles and demonstrating value to carrier and broker partners.
Oliver Evans, head of growth UK at Root, said that discussions with UK MGAs and partners show many operational challenges have been treated as standard.
“From our conversations with MGAs and partners across the UK, it’s clear that many of the industry’s biggest pain points - slow onboarding, fragmented data, expensive product updates - have been accepted as ‘normal’ for far too long,” he said.
Evans said Root sees modular, API-driven infrastructure as a way to address these pressures more easily. He added that, given their position in the insurance value chain, MGAs are in a position to act on these opportunities and adjust their distribution and product strategies at speed.
