Ascendri Insurance Services is entering the strained California homeowners market with a focus on complex and high-value properties.
The MGA will combine human underwriting with technology and will distribute solely through licensed agents and wholesalers, including Acrisure and Wholesure, while underwriting exclusively on behalf of rated carriers.
The move comes as traditional capacity in the state has tightened sharply in recent years, particularly for homes exposed to wildfire and other catastrophe perils, leaving many high-value and nonstandard risks struggling to find coverage in the admitted market.
Industry and regulatory data showed that as major carriers have curtailed new business or non-renewed policies, the California FAIR Plan's exposure has surged, with total FAIR Plan exposure reaching around $700 billion and roughly 650,000 policies in force by late 2025.
Ascendri’s launch has been enabled by Acrisure, the global brokerage and fintech group.
Acrisure recently completed its acquisition of Vave, a technology‑driven MGA focused on catastrophe‑exposed US property risks that delivers thousands of instantly bindable quotes per day through API‑driven distribution.
Denese Ross, managing director of Ascendri, said the homeowners product has been shaped by years of local experience and collaboration with California agents.
“Built on years of underwriting California homes, this homeowners insurance product was developed in close collaboration with California insurance agents to address complex and high‑value risks," said Ross. "We consider each property on its own merits. Our goal is to deliver strong, high‑quality protection at a competitive price—without forcing unique homes into standard boxes.”
Homeowners across the US have faced rapidly rising premiums and, in some cases, reduced availability of coverage. In California, several large wildfire seasons, rising reinsurance costs, and regulatory constraints on rate increases have led a number of major insurers to pause or limit new homeowners business, driving more risks into the surplus lines market and the FAIR Plan.
Some homeowners can now only secure insurance through government‑sponsored arrangements, which often provide limited coverage and may require buyers to layer additional policies to approximate prior levels of protection.
Against this backdrop, new sources of rated, non‑admitted capacity are likely to attract close attention from retail and wholesale brokers, particularly for higher‑value homes that are less well served by residual market solutions.
Matt Schweinzger, President of North America Insurance at Acrisure, said: “Ascendri is the result of two years of research and development between agents and underwriters in California. The team combines underwriting, pricing, and technology to address a market where customers have limited choices.”
