Buy-and-Build 2026: W&I as Structural Infrastructure for Serial Acquisitions
Buy-and-build strategies have become a defining feature of the European lower and mid-market M&A landscape, with both private equity sponsors and corporates pursuing growth through recurring add-on acquisitions. At the same time, W&I insurance is evolving from a transaction-specific risk transfer tool into a standardized, programmatic framework supporting entire acquisition strategies rather than individual deals. Through the use of synthetic warranties and more structured underwriting processes, risks can now be managed more consistently, efficiently, and cost-effectively across multiple acquisitions. Framework-based W&I solutions enhance predictability, strengthen governance and integration within platforms, and improve exit positioning as well as financing conditions. As a result, W&I is increasingly becoming a strategic infrastructure component of scalable buy-and-build models—no longer merely an accessory to individual transactions, but an integral element of serial M&A execution.
