You spent decades building something that matters. Aiden gives you operational liquidity, instant technology upgrades, and a culture-first integration — not a 18-month earn-out with a faceless PE firm.
The reality
The insurance landscape is shifting faster than at any point in the last three decades. Here's what's driving the most successful agency owners to make their move — and why doing it now, on your own terms, is better than waiting until you're forced to.
Over 52% of U.S. employer-businesses are owned by people 55 or older. In insurance specifically, 7 in 10 agency principals are retirement-eligible within the next decade — yet only 1 in 3 have a documented succession plan. Internal perpetuation has a 70% failure rate by the third generation. The talent pipeline isn't there.
Carriers are demanding API integrations, real-time data feeds, and digital-first servicing. Legacy management systems can't keep up. Building modern infrastructure in-house costs $500K+ and takes years — time most agencies don't have.
Key provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) are set to expire, and capital gains rates could rise materially under any administration. Smart owners are locking in today's favorable rates rather than gambling on tomorrow's tax code.
Insurance brokerage valuations hit 21× EBITDA in 2024, up from 17× earlier in the year. Private equity continues to chase reliable recurring revenue. But rising interest rates and market volatility are starting to compress multiples for smaller agencies.
Your best CSRs and producers want career paths, equity participation, and modern tools. Without a growth platform, you're losing your next generation of leaders to larger brokerages that offer all three.
From the global minimum tax to evolving state-level regulations and the growing cyber liability landscape, compliance overhead is ballooning. Larger platforms can absorb this cost across a broader revenue base. Staying independent means bearing 100% of that burden on your own P&L.
The largest brokerages are using proprietary AI models for risk scoring, market benchmarking, and claims prediction. These tools require datasets that span thousands of clients and millions of policies. No matter how good your underwriting instincts are, a 50-person shop can't build what Aiden already has.
Fortune 500 risk managers now expect real-time dashboards, 24/7 certificate issuance, and instant comparative market analysis. Mid-market CFOs want the same. The service bar is rising every quarter, and the agencies that can't invest in client experience are the ones that lose renewals first.
"The agencies that will thrive in 2030 are the ones making their technology and succession decisions today — not five years from now."— Insurance Industry M&A Outlook, 2025
The Aiden difference
Most PE-backed acquirers strip your identity, cut your staff, and leave you stuck in an 18-month earn-out. Here's how Aiden is different.
| Typical PE Exit | The Aiden Partnership | |
|---|---|---|
| Timeline | 12–18 month earn-out | 90-day full integration |
| Payment | 80% cash, 20% deferred stock | Competitive cash + equity upside |
| Technology | Legacy systems kept until "Phase 2" | Day-one AI platform migration |
| Your Staff | Redundancy reviews in 6 months | Retained, upskilled, given career paths |
| Your Brand | Absorbed into parent within a year | Preserved local identity & relationships |
| Client Experience | Unchanged (stagnant) | Immediate upgrade: dashboards, AI scoring, 24/7 certificates |
| Your Role | Transition period, then goodbye | Flexible: lead, advise, or retire on your terms |
| Compliance | You keep managing it | Centralized compliance team handles everything |
Why Aiden
Aiden's dual-engine model — 50% organic innovation, 50% strategic acquisition — means every agency that joins our platform gets the full force of our technology, talent, and capital behind it.
Your clients get instant risk scoring, cyber exposure analysis, and market benchmarking from day one.
Your name stays on the door. Your relationships stay intact. We augment — we don't replace.
Access carrier markets, specialty lines, and cross-sell opportunities that a standalone agency can't reach.
State licensing, E&O, cyber regs — handled by our centralized compliance and legal team.
Your team gets equity participation, leadership tracks, and access to modern tools they've been asking for.
Competitive upfront payment, clean structure, no 18-month hostage situations disguised as earn-outs.
How it works
Every conversation starts confidentially. No pressure, no brokers, no middlemen.
A private conversation with our M&A team to understand your goals, timeline, and what matters most to you.
We deliver a transparent valuation based on your financials, book composition, and growth trajectory. No games, no lowballs.
A clean, fair offer with clear cash and equity components. We walk you through every line — bring your attorney, your CPA, whoever you trust.
Your team is onboarded to the Aiden platform. Clients see immediate improvements. Your staff gets training and career paths. Your brand stays.
Stay on as a regional leader, transition to an advisory role, or retire knowing your legacy is in the right hands. Your call.
Let's Talk
No brokers, no obligations. Just a private discussion about what your agency is worth and what your future could look like.
A member of our M&A team will reach out within 24 hours. Everything you've shared is confidential.