Start-up Bridger Buys Out MGA to Launch Tech Initiatives

PR Newswire

PLEASANTON, Calif., June 29, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Bridger (http://bridgerins.com), a New Jersey based tech upstart company, has purchased SCJ Insurance Services (http://www.scjinsuranceservices.com), a master general agency in Pleasanton, California. Started more than 40 years ago, SCJ has been highly successful in providing non-standard automobile insurance through its more than 2,000 agent locations throughout California.

Bridger, a start-up company, was in search of an established master general agency with a successful agent network through which to begin developing and launching technology-based insurance products. Kimo Winterbottom, Bridger's CEO, stated, "Bridger will deliver technology driven personal insurance products to our independent agent partners that will enable them to offer a more efficient and seamless quote, bind and claims experience."

Bridger has plans to develop mobile-based products that leverage telematics, use-based programs to control premiums for policy holders, and smart contracts that leverage blockchain strategies to streamline the way insurance is transacted. Winterbottom added, "In two years we hope to be offering personal and commercial, as well as homeowners products, through our proprietary Bridger transactional platform, and taking profitable market share by offering a user experience to the agent and consumer that is second to none."

SCJ holds licenses in California, Texas, and Arizona, so Bridger's plans are to rapidly expand beyond California within the next year. The amount paid for the SCJ acquisition was not released, but the company feels the purchase primes them for success with an already existing $15-million book of business. With a firm revenue base, raising additional capital (beyond the $1.5-million seed round) to fund the company's technology push should be much easier.

Winterbottom said he plans to grow Bridger's premium to between $25-million and $30-million by this time next year, with ambitions of writing $100-million within five years.

Contact
Charles Bobo, Director of Marketing
Bridger
[email protected]
719-220-4902