Alliance Risk vs Embroker: How Do They Compare for D&O Insurance?

Embroker offers online D&O quotes and publishes startup limit examples by funding stage; Alliance Risk takes a broker-led route, reviewing existing policies and marketing placements to specialist carriers.

Embroker quotes D&O online and sizes startup-package limits to your raise, from $1M to $2M with a $10,000 to $25,000 retention if you've raised up to $10M. Alliance Risk shops your D&O to specialist insurers as a broker and reviews an existing policy for gaps at no charge. 3,1

What Are the Key Differences Between Alliance Risk and Embroker D&O Insurance?

Online Startup Quote vs Broker With a Free Policy Review

Embroker's stage table runs up to $8M to $10M in limits with a $25,000 to $75,000 retention once you've raised $100M to $250M. Alliance Risk instead prices by company size: $2,500 to $10,000 a year for small private companies and $2M to $5M of Side A limits at $5M to $50M revenue, with proposals usually within a few business days. Choose Embroker if you're a venture-backed startup that wants to quote online; choose Alliance Risk if you already carry D&O and want the gaps found, or you're a private company sized by revenue rather than by raise. 3 1

Shared Limits Across D&O, EPLI and Fiduciary

Embroker's startup package combines D&O, EPLI and fiduciary, and its page doesn't say whether the three share one aggregate. Alliance Risk warns that entry-level bundles often do, so an employment settlement early in the year can shrink what's left for a D&O claim. 3 2

What Each Says Is Excluded

Embroker's policy excludes suits between members of the same company, prior-knowledge claims and directors engaged in antitrust violations, so a co-founder dispute may not be covered. Alliance Risk lists fraud, criminal acts and, often, acts before the policy began, and says employment and benefit-plan claims need separate EPLI or fiduciary cover. 3 1

What Should You Confirm in Alliance Risk and Embroker D&O Insurance Quotes?

  • Ask Embroker whether D&O, EPLI and fiduciary on the startup package share one aggregate. 3
  • Ask Embroker how the insured-versus-insured exclusion treats a suit from a co-founder or investor. 3
  • Ask Alliance Risk which insurer would issue your policy and whether prior acts are covered. 1

Alliance Risk vs Embroker D&O Insurance Compared

Alliance Risk vs Embroker: D&O Insurance: documented features by provider

CriteriaAlliance Risk Directors & Officers (D&O) InsuranceEmbroker Directors and Officers Insurance
Limits and Retentions

Alliance Risk publishes indicative Side A limit and premium ranges: mid-size companies ($5M-$50M revenue) typically carry $2M-$5M in Side A limits, and larger private companies $5M-$25M or more. It shows overall D&O premium bands from $2,500-$10,000 for small private companies up to $50,000-$500,000 for large private companies, noting fintech, crypto and venture-backed companies often pay 2-3x more. 1Company-reported. D&O product page; illustrative bands, not a quote for any particular company.

Alliance Risk says entry-level management-liability packages that bundle D&O with EPLI and fiduciary often share a single aggregate limit, so a large EPLI or fiduciary settlement earlier in the policy year can reduce what is left for a later D&O claim; it says a specialist broker structures shared versus separate limits to manage that risk. 2Company-reported. Management liability page's discussion of bundled D&O, EPLI and fiduciary programs.

For its startup package, Embroker publishes illustrative D&O/EPLI/fiduciary limit and retention ranges by funding stage, from roughly $1-2 million in limits with a $10-25k retention for companies raising up to $10 million, up to $8-10 million in limits with a $25-75k retention for companies raising $100-250 million. 3Company-reported. Product-page cost table for the Embroker Startup Package; actual limits, retentions and premiums depend on underwriting.

Who It’s For

Alliance Risk says D&O is relevant to venture-backed and public companies, high-risk industries such as fintech, healthcare, real estate and financial services, companies going through M&A, IPO or leadership changes, nonprofits, and small private companies without outside investors. 1Company-reported. D&O product page; eligibility for a particular company depends on underwriting.

Alliance Risk says a company should turn on D&O coverage at its first priced funding round, because institutional investment brings personal exposure for directors and officers from day one. 2Company-reported. Management liability page's program-staging guidance, describing D&O specifically among the three bundled lines.

Embroker markets D&O to any private or public company with a board of directors, startups that have received or are about to receive venture capital funding, and nonprofit corporations, saying VC and private equity investors commonly require it before funding. 3Company-reported. Product-page eligibility and 'Why Do Startups Need D&O Insurance?' sections; not a guarantee of coverage for a particular company.

How to Apply

For a D&O quote, Alliance Risk asks for company revenue, industry and stage, board composition, investor structure, current D&O coverage and carrier, five-year claims history and upcoming events such as M&A or an IPO, and says it typically delivers proposals within a few business days. 1Company-reported. D&O product page, What We Need for Your Quote section; timing is a company estimate, not a guarantee.

Embroker offers an online quote for D&O coverage through its digital platform, describing underwriting factors including revenue, industry risk and claims history. 3Company-reported. Product-page 'Quick quotes' feature and cost-factor list; no quote was requested during this research.

Coverage Features

Alliance Risk describes D&O policies it places as having three parts: Side A for individual directors and officers when the company cannot indemnify them, Side B reimbursing the company for indemnification costs, and Side C covering the company directly for certain liabilities. 1Company-reported. D&O product page; actual policy structure and whether sides are combined or separately limited depend on the carrier and the policy as issued.

Alliance Risk lists standard D&O exclusions it sees, including fraud and intentional misconduct, criminal acts, bodily injury and property damage, and often prior acts before the policy started; it says employment practices and ERISA benefit-plan claims are typically excluded and need separate EPLI or fiduciary liability coverage. 1Company-reported. D&O product page; exclusion wording varies by carrier and the policy as issued.

Embroker lists coverage for misuse of company funds, misrepresentation of company assets, breach of fiduciary duty, failure to comply with workplace laws and lack of corporate governance. 3Company-reported. Product-page What's covered section; the issued policy and declarations control.

Embroker says the policy excludes lawsuits between members of the same company, criminal or deliberately fraudulent activity, prior-knowledge claims, and claims against directors actively engaged in antitrust violations. 3Company-reported. Product-page What's not included section.

Embroker structures its D&O policy with three insuring agreements: Side A covers individual directors and officers when the company cannot indemnify them, Side B reimburses the company for indemnifying its leaders, and Side C covers the company itself when it is sued for financial mismanagement. 3Company-reported. Product-page 'What are Side A, B, and C insuring agreements?' section; specific policy structure, not a claim about every insurer's D&O form.

Role in This Line

Alliance Risk places D&O insurance as a broker: it reviews a company's existing D&O program and markets the risk to carriers that specialize in management liability. 1Company-reported. D&O product page; Alliance Risk does not underwrite the policy itself.

Embroker sells D&O as a standalone policy and offers to package it with cyber and workers' compensation; it also says EPLI, D&O and related coverages are sometimes bundled into a management liability program. 3Company-reported. Product-page description; not a statement about the issuing insurer.

About Alliance Risk and Embroker and D&O Insurance

Related Pages for Alliance Risk vs Embroker D&O Insurance

Updated . Spot, a product of Tools for Enlightenment, publishes this research and works in the commercial insurance market. The comparison applies the same criteria to both providers. Editorial policy. To suggest a correction, contact Spot with the page URL and supporting source.

Get Help With Insurance Buying and Renewals.

Get help buying coverage and managing renewals, with less paperwork for your team. Create your account and submit an insurance request online.

Talk to Spot