---
title: "Beazley vs StartupInsurance.ai D&O Insurance"
description: "Beazley underwrites private-company D&O with Excess Side A; StartupInsurance.ai places D&O for venture-backed startups and reviews forms for blanket AI exclusions."
canonical: "https://spot.insure/compare/beazley-vs-startupinsurance/directors-officers"
page-type: "line-comparison"
updated-at: "2026-09-23"
---

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# Beazley vs StartupInsurance.ai D&O Insurance

Beazley underwrites private-company D&O with Excess Side A; StartupInsurance.ai places D&O for venture-backed startups and reviews forms for blanket AI exclusions.

## Research Scope and Use

Use this comparison to evaluate Beazley and StartupInsurance.ai for D&O Insurance against the same documented criteria. It identifies differences and questions to confirm; it does not select a winner for a particular business. Offering claims are what each provider publishes about this line unless marked otherwise. “Not found” describes the evidence reviewed, not proof that a feature is unavailable. Confirm the insurer, policy wording, limits, retentions, exclusions and cost in an actual quote.

## Summary

Beazley underwrites private-company D&O, with advertised limits up to US $20 million and a duty-to-defend or pay-on-behalf choice. StartupInsurance.ai lists D&O among lines its startup program places, frames it as coverage founders typically need once a term sheet requires it, and says it reviews policies for blanket AI exclusions that can arrive at renewal. [5](https://www.beazley.com/en-US/products/executive-risk-usa/do-private-companies/ "D&O - Private Companies") [3](https://www.beazley.com/en-us/products/executive-risk-usa/execuguard-combined-epl-do-and-fiduciary "Execuguard (Combined EPL, D&O, and Fiduciary)") [8](https://www.startupinsurance.ai/ "Startup Insurance | Coverage that clears the review") [9](https://www.contractornerd.com/terms-and-conditions/ "Terms and Conditions")

## What Is Beazley?

Beazley is a specialty insurance group whose MediaTech product combines technology and professional E&O, media and cyber coverage. Separate offerings address executive liability, digital health and other specialty risks. [1](https://www.beazley.com/en-US/products/small-business-solutions-usa/mediatech-for-small-businesses/ "MediaTech for Small Businesses") [2](https://www.beazley.com/en-us/legal-information-en/ "Legal Information") [3](https://www.beazley.com/en-us/products/executive-risk-usa/execuguard-combined-epl-do-and-fiduciary "Execuguard (Combined EPL, D&O, and Fiduciary)") [4](https://www.beazley.com/en-us/products/healthcare-usa/virtual-care "Virtual Care")

[Beazley profile](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/beazley)

## What Is StartupInsurance.ai?

StartupInsurance.ai is a marketing brand of ContractorNerd Insurance Services, LLC, offering startup insurance placement and policy reviews. Buyers can begin with an online coverage selection or a review of existing policies and contract requirements. [6](https://www.startupinsurance.ai/company/ "Company | Startup Insurance") [7](https://quotes.startupinsurance.ai/ "Apply for Startup Insurance | StartupInsurance.ai")

[StartupInsurance.ai profile](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/startupinsurance)

## What Is Directors and Officers Insurance?

Directors and officers liability insurance addresses covered claims alleging wrongful acts in managing an organization. [10](https://www.thehartford.com/business-insurance/glossary-of-business-insurance-terms "Glossary of Business Insurance Terms")

## Key Differences in D&O Insurance

### Underwritten Form Versus a Startup Placement Program

Beazley underwrites private-company D&O. StartupInsurance.ai lists directors and officers among the lines its startup program places and cites an investor’s term-sheet request for D&O as a typical reason a founder comes to it. Its homepage carrier panel names insurers with D&O capacity, such as Chubb shown as A++ Admitted and Coalition shown as A- Surplus, without stating that either underwrites a given D&O placement. [5](https://www.beazley.com/en-US/products/executive-risk-usa/do-private-companies/ "D&O - Private Companies") [8](https://www.startupinsurance.ai/ "Startup Insurance | Coverage that clears the review")

### AI Endorsements and Who the Line Is For

StartupInsurance.ai says one major carrier added a blanket AI exclusion to D&O (along with E&O and fiduciary), typically arriving at renewal inside an endorsement, and that it reviews policies for this exclusion; a free policy check reviews an existing program for AI exclusions and contract gaps within 48 hours. Beazley’s reviewed D&O pages do not describe an AI-exclusion review. StartupInsurance.ai positions D&O for venture-backed startups with a board rather than pre-revenue companies with no outside investors; Beazley’s page targets privately held companies of all sizes. [8](https://www.startupinsurance.ai/ "Startup Insurance | Coverage that clears the review") [5](https://www.beazley.com/en-US/products/executive-risk-usa/do-private-companies/ "D&O - Private Companies")

### Quote Intake Versus Underwriter Contacts

Directors & Officers is the first coverage box on StartupInsurance.ai’s online quote-intake screen, described there as coverage that protects the board and executives from lawsuits. Beazley routes buyers to Executive Risk underwriters and brokers, publishes Excess Side A and limits up to US $20 million, and does not describe an online D&O checkbox intake. [7](https://quotes.startupinsurance.ai/ "Apply for Startup Insurance | StartupInsurance.ai") [5](https://www.beazley.com/en-US/products/executive-risk-usa/do-private-companies/ "D&O - Private Companies")

## What to Confirm in D&O Insurance Quotes

- Ask StartupInsurance.ai which carrier on its panel would issue D&O and whether a blanket AI exclusion is attached. [8](https://www.startupinsurance.ai/ "Startup Insurance | Coverage that clears the review")
- Ask Beazley for Excess Side A, the defense election and the quoted limit. [5](https://www.beazley.com/en-US/products/executive-risk-usa/do-private-companies/ "D&O - Private Companies")
- If you already have a program, ask StartupInsurance.ai what its 48-hour policy check would flag versus Beazley’s form. [8](https://www.startupinsurance.ai/ "Startup Insurance | Coverage that clears the review") [5](https://www.beazley.com/en-US/products/executive-risk-usa/do-private-companies/ "D&O - Private Companies")
- Confirm whether StartupInsurance.ai would place Beazley paper or another market. [8](https://www.startupinsurance.ai/ "Startup Insurance | Coverage that clears the review") [5](https://www.beazley.com/en-US/products/executive-risk-usa/do-private-companies/ "D&O - Private Companies")

## Offering Details

| Criteria | Beazley D&O – Private Companies | StartupInsurance.ai Directors & Officers (D&O) Insurance |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Role in This Line | Beazley underwrites private-company directors and officers (D&O) liability itself, offered as a standalone product on its D&O - Private Companies page and bundled with employment practices and fiduciary liability coverage in its ExecuGuard package policy. [5](https://www.beazley.com/en-US/products/executive-risk-usa/do-private-companies/ "D&O - Private Companies") [3](https://www.beazley.com/en-us/products/executive-risk-usa/execuguard-combined-epl-do-and-fiduciary "Execuguard (Combined EPL, D&O, and Fiduciary)") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: US private-company D&O as described on the two reviewed product pages; does not establish which entity issues a particular policy..) | StartupInsurance.ai lists directors and officers coverage among the lines its startup program places, and its homepage cites an investor's term-sheet request for D&O as a typical reason a founder comes to it. ContractorNerd Insurance Services, LLC arranges the placement as agent/broker of record rather than underwriting it. [8](https://www.startupinsurance.ai/ "Startup Insurance | Coverage that clears the review") [9](https://www.contractornerd.com/terms-and-conditions/ "Terms and Conditions") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Homepage coverage list and "the problem" narrative, plus ContractorNerd's terms and conditions on its producer role; does not describe a specific D&O policy's terms..) |
| Issuing Insurer | Neither the D&O - Private Companies page nor the ExecuGuard page names the specific Beazley insurance entity that issues the policy; ExecuGuard states both admitted and non-admitted versions are available, so the issuing carrier depends on the policy placed. [5](https://www.beazley.com/en-US/products/executive-risk-usa/do-private-companies/ "D&O - Private Companies") [3](https://www.beazley.com/en-us/products/executive-risk-usa/execuguard-combined-epl-do-and-fiduciary "Execuguard (Combined EPL, D&O, and Fiduciary)") (Evidence: Not found in reviewed sources; scope: Both product pages as read on 2026-09-23; the issued policy's declarations control the actual insurer..) | The homepage's carrier panel names insurers with D&O capacity, such as Chubb (shown as A++ Admitted) and Coalition (shown as A- Surplus), but does not state that either one specifically underwrites D&O placements; the issuing insurer varies by placement. [8](https://www.startupinsurance.ai/ "Startup Insurance | Coverage that clears the review") (Evidence: Not publicly disclosed; scope: Homepage carrier panel and ratings card; the panel is program-wide, not broken out by coverage line..) |
| Who It’s For | The D&O page targets privately held companies of all sizes facing litigation such as employment allegations, fraud and misrepresentation claims, without a stated employee-count or revenue threshold on that page. [5](https://www.beazley.com/en-US/products/executive-risk-usa/do-private-companies/ "D&O - Private Companies") [3](https://www.beazley.com/en-us/products/executive-risk-usa/execuguard-combined-epl-do-and-fiduciary "Execuguard (Combined EPL, D&O, and Fiduciary)") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Private-company D&O only; ExecuGuard buyers can additionally choose to share limits across D&O, EPL and fiduciary coverages..) | StartupInsurance.ai frames D&O as coverage founders typically need once an investor's term sheet requires it, positioning the line for venture-backed startups with a board rather than pre-revenue companies with no outside investors. [8](https://www.startupinsurance.ai/ "Startup Insurance | Coverage that clears the review") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Homepage narrative example; not a stated underwriting eligibility rule (e.g., minimum funding stage or headcount)..) |
| Coverage Features | The D&O product lets the policyholder choose between a "duty to defend" or "pay on behalf" claim-handling structure, and Beazley says it pays 100% of defense costs for covered loss. [5](https://www.beazley.com/en-US/products/executive-risk-usa/do-private-companies/ "D&O - Private Companies") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: D&O - Private Companies product page; actual defense obligations and cost-sharing are set by the issued policy..)<br><br>Beazley offers a dedicated additional Excess Side A limit that responds for individual directors and officers when the company cannot indemnify them or the underlying limit is exhausted, plus an optional employed-lawyers errors-and-omissions extension. [5](https://www.beazley.com/en-US/products/executive-risk-usa/do-private-companies/ "D&O - Private Companies") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: D&O - Private Companies product page; availability and pricing of the extension depend on underwriting..) | StartupInsurance.ai says one major carrier added a blanket AI exclusion to D&O (along with E&O and fiduciary forms), typically arriving at renewal inside an endorsement, and that it reviews policies for this exclusion as part of its free check. [8](https://www.startupinsurance.ai/ "Startup Insurance | Coverage that clears the review") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Homepage "wording that still says yes" section; names the exclusion trend industrywide but not the carrier, and does not state whether any StartupInsurance.ai-placed D&O policy carries this specific endorsement..) |
| Limits and Retentions | Beazley advertises private-company D&O limits up to US $20 million, on either an admitted or non-admitted (surplus lines) basis; actual limits and retentions are set by underwriting and appear on the declarations. [5](https://www.beazley.com/en-US/products/executive-risk-usa/do-private-companies/ "D&O - Private Companies") [3](https://www.beazley.com/en-us/products/executive-risk-usa/execuguard-combined-epl-do-and-fiduciary "Execuguard (Combined EPL, D&O, and Fiduciary)") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Advertised maximum capacity, not a guaranteed quote amount..) | Not described in the reviewed sources. |
| Risk Services | D&O policyholders get pre-approved choice-of-counsel flexibility, and law-firm insureds can access a bespoke executive-risk wording through Beazley's related Practice Protect product. [5](https://www.beazley.com/en-US/products/executive-risk-usa/do-private-companies/ "D&O - Private Companies") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: D&O - Private Companies product page; scope and terms of the Practice Protect wording were not independently reviewed..) | StartupInsurance.ai's free policy check reviews an existing program for AI exclusions and contract gaps within 48 hours, and the homepage specifically calls out D&O as one of the forms affected by the AI-exclusion trend it checks for. [8](https://www.startupinsurance.ai/ "Startup Insurance | Coverage that clears the review") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Homepage service description; a marketing offer describing what the review covers, not a report on any specific customer's D&O policy..) |
| How to Apply | Beazley lists a downloadable EPL renewal application as a tool on the D&O page and names regional Executive Risk underwriters and brokers as contacts, but the reviewed page does not describe a self-service online quoting flow for new D&O business. [5](https://www.beazley.com/en-US/products/executive-risk-usa/do-private-companies/ "D&O - Private Companies") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: D&O - Private Companies product page as read on 2026-09-23; buyers typically work through a broker or underwriter contact..) | Directors & Officers (D&O) is the first coverage box on StartupInsurance.ai's online quote-intake screen, described there as coverage that "protects your board and executives from lawsuits." [7](https://quotes.startupinsurance.ai/ "Apply for Startup Insurance | StartupInsurance.ai") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Initial coverage-selection screen of the quote application; does not show the underwriting questions that follow for this line..) |
| Claims Support | Beazley illustrates its D&O claims approach with a securities class-action and shareholder derivative-action scenario in which its claims team worked with the insured's defense counsel toward a dismissal, avoiding a settlement; this is a single company-reported example, not audited claims-outcome data. [3](https://www.beazley.com/en-us/products/executive-risk-usa/execuguard-combined-epl-do-and-fiduciary "Execuguard (Combined EPL, D&O, and Fiduciary)") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: ExecuGuard page scenario section; outcome statistics are not independently verified..) | Not described in the reviewed sources. |

## Full Comparison

- [Beazley vs StartupInsurance.ai](https://spot.insure/compare/beazley-vs-startupinsurance): all coverage lines, business roles, service and claims.
- [What Is Directors and Officers Insurance?](https://spot.insure/coverage/directors-officers): Directors and officers insurance can help pay for covered claims against company leaders over decisions they make in running the business.
- [Beazley vs StartupInsurance.ai Commercial Property Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/beazley-vs-startupinsurance/commercial-property)
- [Beazley vs StartupInsurance.ai Fiduciary Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/beazley-vs-startupinsurance/fiduciary)
- [Beazley vs StartupInsurance.ai General Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/beazley-vs-startupinsurance/general-liability)
- [Beazley vs StartupInsurance.ai Product Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/beazley-vs-startupinsurance/product-liability)
- [Beazley vs StartupInsurance.ai Tech E&O Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/beazley-vs-startupinsurance/technology-errors-omissions)
- [Alliance Risk vs Beazley D&O Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/alliance-risk-vs-beazley/directors-officers)
- [Alliance Risk vs StartupInsurance.ai D&O Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/alliance-risk-vs-startupinsurance/directors-officers)
- [Amelia Risk vs Beazley D&O Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/amelia-risk-vs-beazley/directors-officers)
- [Amelia Risk vs StartupInsurance.ai D&O Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/amelia-risk-vs-startupinsurance/directors-officers)
- [Beazley vs CFC D&O Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/beazley-vs-cfc/directors-officers)
- [Beazley vs Chubb D&O Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/beazley-vs-chubb/directors-officers)

## Sources

### Beazley

1. [MediaTech for Small Businesses](https://www.beazley.com/en-US/products/small-business-solutions-usa/mediatech-for-small-businesses/). Beazley; Opening product description; What we offer: E&O (Tech and Professional), Media, Cyber coverage includes; How can we help; SME placement paragraph; Tools & Resources. Accessed 2026-09-16.
2. [Legal Information](https://www.beazley.com/en-us/legal-information-en/). Beazley; Website conditions: US jurisdiction availability, surplus lines and policy wording disclaimers; Beazley plc identity. Accessed 2026-09-16.
3. [Execuguard (Combined EPL, D&O, and Fiduciary)](https://www.beazley.com/en-us/products/executive-risk-usa/execuguard-combined-epl-do-and-fiduciary). Beazley; What we offer: separate or shared limits among EPL, D&O and fiduciary; Limits up to US $20,000,000, both admitted and non-admitted available; Examples or Scenarios: California securities class action/derivative action. Accessed 2026-09-23.
4. [Virtual Care](https://www.beazley.com/en-us/products/healthcare-usa/virtual-care). Beazley; Available Coverages; Who we can help; Where is this offered. Accessed 2026-09-16.
5. [D&O - Private Companies](https://www.beazley.com/en-US/products/executive-risk-usa/do-private-companies/). Beazley; What we offer; How can we help: duty to defend/pay on behalf, 100% defense for covered loss, Excess Side A limit, private placement coverage, Practice Protect for lawyers; Up to US $20,000,000; Tools & Resources: EPL_RenewalApp. Accessed 2026-09-23.

### StartupInsurance.ai

6. [Company | Startup Insurance](https://www.startupinsurance.ai/company/). StartupInsurance.ai; The story; founders; The free policy check; legal footer. Accessed 2026-09-16.
7. [Apply for Startup Insurance | StartupInsurance.ai](https://quotes.startupinsurance.ai/). StartupInsurance.ai; Coverage-selection screen: Directors & Officers (D&O) — “Protects your board and executives from lawsuits”. Accessed 2026-09-23.
8. [Startup Insurance | Coverage that clears the review](https://www.startupinsurance.ai/). StartupInsurance.ai; The problem (“An investor's term sheet asked for D&O”); Wording that still says yes (“One major carrier added a blanket AI exclusion to D&O, E&O and fiduciary”); Coverage: What we place; The free policy check. Accessed 2026-09-23.
9. [Terms and Conditions](https://www.contractornerd.com/terms-and-conditions/). ContractorNerd; Section 2, Insurance Services: “ContractorNerd is an insurance agency/insurance producer... not an insurance company, does not underwrite insurance”; Section 2.A, Broker/Agent of Record. Accessed 2026-09-23.

### D&O Insurance Guide

10. [Glossary of Business Insurance Terms](https://www.thehartford.com/business-insurance/glossary-of-business-insurance-terms). The Hartford; Directors and Officers Liability Insurance; Errors and Omissions Insurance; Employment Practices Liability Insurance. Accessed 2026-09-16.

Updated 2026-09-23. 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](https://spot.insure/editorial-policy). To suggest a correction, [contact Spot](https://spot.insure/contact) with the page URL and supporting source.

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