2026 marks ten years since Activate Group started doing business, and we’re celebrating in style.
Over summer, our senior leadership team will be delivering special roadshow presentations for team members, talking through our history, the achievements we’ve made together, and our plans for the future. We’re also holding tenth anniversary themed parties throughout the summer – look out for updates on LinkedIn.
A decade is a long time. Here’s how we got here.
2016
We made our first acquisition, purchasing Car Repair Network and renaming it Motor Repair Network. This gave Activate Group its first foothold in personal lines accident management, connecting insurers with quality repair services at scale.
2017
Activate Group expanded into commercial fleet accident management with the acquisition of sopp+sopp. A well-established name in the industry, sopp+sopp brought with it deep expertise and strong relationships across the fleet sector.
2018
Sopp Parts (later renamed Activate Parts) joined the Group. Adding an integrated parts supplier meant we could offer greater control over parts sourcing for our customers.
2019
We launched Activate Accident Repair, our own chain of repair centres, designed to be state-of-the-art, EV-ready, and located in high-demand urban areas. Our very first site opened in Birmingham.
2020
We continued to support customers throughout the pandemic, and also expanded Activate Accident Repair, opening sites in Glasgow and Leeds.
2021
We gained industry recognition – named Outsourced Partner of the Year at the prestigious British Insurance Awards. We also achieved carbon neutrality in line with PAS2060, demonstrating our commitment to operating as a responsible business.
2022
Activate Group was listed in The Sunday Times 100 as one of Britain’s fastest-growing private companies. sopp+sopp added to the celebrations by winning Fleet Partnership of the Year at the Fleet News Awards.
2023
Activate Accident Repair continued its national expansion, opening its first London site at Kings Langley and bringing the network to 9 repair centres across the UK.
2024
A transformative year for the Group. Investment from Elysian Capital provided the platform for accelerated growth, with Activate Accident Repair reaching 13 repair centres. We launched Onyx, our proprietary Bodyshop Management System, and signed up with the Real Living Wage Foundation, committing to pay all team members a wage that reflects the true cost of living. We were also recognised as Challenger of the Year at the Insurance Times Awards and winners of Best Apprentice Programme at the Bodyshop Excellence Awards.
2025
Momentum continued with the acquisition of Avant Group, a well-established collision repair specialist, and the launch of FleetScout, our intelligent vehicle inspection solution.
2026
It’s already been a busy year! We launched Activate Collision Solutions, bringing Avant Repair Network and Motor Repair Network together under one brand, strengthening our offering for insurers and brokers. sopp+sopp has earned Fleet News Reader Recommended Supplier status – testament to consistently high qaulity service.
