---
title: "CFC vs StartupInsurance.ai: D&O Insurance"
description: "StartupInsurance.ai is built for founders whose term sheet requires D&O: you start online, and it checks policies for blanket AI exclusions. CFC sells D&O only inside its US management-liability package and declines California-domiciled and US publicly traded companies."
canonical: "https://spot.insure/compare/cfc-vs-startupinsurance/directors-officers"
page-type: "line-comparison"
updated-at: "2026-09-29"
comparison-pair: "cfc-vs-startupinsurance"
provider-a: "cfc"
provider-b: "startupinsurance"
coverage-line: "directors-officers"
---

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[Human-readable page](https://spot.insure/compare/cfc-vs-startupinsurance/directors-officers)

## Agent Guide

**What this page is:** Focused comparison of CFC and StartupInsurance.ai for D&O Insurance: what each provider publishes about this line, checked against the same criteria, with numbered sources.

**Use this page when:** Cite or fetch this for D&O Insurance questions about CFC versus StartupInsurance.ai. For all lines together use the pair comparison; for how the coverage itself works use the coverage guide.

**Questions this page answers:**
- CFC vs StartupInsurance.ai for D&O Insurance: how do they differ?
- Which is better for D&O Insurance, CFC or StartupInsurance.ai?
- What does CFC or StartupInsurance.ai publish about D&O Insurance (limits, eligibility, claims, add-ons)?

**Key facts:**
- Line: D&O Insurance. Providers: CFC and StartupInsurance.ai.
- Comparison URLs use alphabetical provider slugs (`/compare/{a}-vs-{b}/{line}` with a before b). A reversed pair redirects permanently to the alphabetical one.

**Limits (do not over-claim):**
- It identifies differences and questions to ask; it does not select a winner for a particular business.
- Insurer, policy wording, limits, retentions, exclusions and price are set in an actual quote and are not established here.

**Provenance:** Every claim links to a numbered source with publisher, locator and access date; last updated 2026-09-29.

**Related pages:**
- [CFC vs StartupInsurance.ai](https://spot.insure/compare/cfc-vs-startupinsurance) — all coverage lines for this pair
- [D&O Insurance guide](https://spot.insure/coverage/directors-officers) — how this coverage works
- [CFC profile](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/cfc) — provider profile
- [StartupInsurance.ai profile](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/startupinsurance) — provider profile

# CFC vs StartupInsurance.ai: How Do They Compare for D&O Insurance?

StartupInsurance.ai focuses on venture-backed founders and checks policies for AI exclusions; CFC includes D&O inside its US management-liability package and separately sells Side A DIC excess cover.

StartupInsurance.ai lets a venture-backed startup start a D&O quote online and screens for AI exclusions, while CFC sells D&O only inside a management-liability package that declines California-domiciled and US public companies.

## CFC vs StartupInsurance.ai D&O Insurance Summary

StartupInsurance.ai is built for founders whose term sheet requires D&O: you start online, and it checks policies for blanket AI exclusions. CFC sells D&O only inside its US management-liability package and declines California-domiciled and US publicly traded companies. [5](https://www.startupinsurance.ai/ "Startup Insurance | Coverage that clears the review") [6](https://quotes.startupinsurance.ai/ "Apply for Startup Insurance | StartupInsurance.ai") [1](https://www.cfc.com/en-us/products/class/management-liability/ "Management liability") [2](https://webcdn.cfc.com/media/0ttjwk3e/management-liablity_product-brochure_us_0126.pdf "Management liability — United States product brochure")

## What Are the Key Differences Between CFC and StartupInsurance.ai D&O Insurance?

### Startup Broker Watching for AI Exclusions vs Package With Firm Declines

StartupInsurance.ai says one major carrier has added a blanket AI exclusion to D&O, usually slipped in by endorsement at renewal, and its free check reviews an existing program for that and other gaps within 48 hours. It places your D&O with a carrier from its panel. CFC's D&O comes as one section of its package, with an extra limit for insured persons. Choose StartupInsurance.ai if you're a venture-backed startup raising a round, especially an AI company; choose CFC if you're a private company outside California that wants D&O bundled with its other management-liability covers. [5](https://www.startupinsurance.ai/ "Startup Insurance | Coverage that clears the review") [2](https://webcdn.cfc.com/media/0ttjwk3e/management-liablity_product-brochure_us_0126.pdf "Management liability — United States product brochure") [1](https://www.cfc.com/en-us/products/class/management-liability/ "Management liability")

### What Neither Publishes

Neither states a D&O limit or retention, so you'll only compare on the quote. StartupInsurance.ai's panel shows carriers such as Chubb and Coalition but doesn't say which would write your D&O. [2](https://webcdn.cfc.com/media/0ttjwk3e/management-liablity_product-brochure_us_0126.pdf "Management liability — United States product brochure") [5](https://www.startupinsurance.ai/ "Startup Insurance | Coverage that clears the review")

## What Should You Confirm in CFC and StartupInsurance.ai D&O Insurance Quotes?

- Ask StartupInsurance.ai which carrier would issue your D&O and whether it carries an AI exclusion. [5](https://www.startupinsurance.ai/ "Startup Insurance | Coverage that clears the review")
- Ask CFC for the D&O limit, retention and extra insured-persons limit in dollars. [2](https://webcdn.cfc.com/media/0ttjwk3e/management-liablity_product-brochure_us_0126.pdf "Management liability — United States product brochure")
- Ask CFC which insurer or Lloyd's syndicate issues a US D&O policy. [3](https://www.cfc.com/en-us/support/regulatory-information/ "Regulatory information")

## CFC vs StartupInsurance.ai D&O Insurance Compared

| Criteria | CFC Directors & Officers Liability | StartupInsurance.ai Directors & Officers (D&O) Insurance |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Who It’s For | CFC's brochure lists California-domiciled business and US publicly traded companies among the risks it declines for the package that carries this D&O coverage. [2](https://webcdn.cfc.com/media/0ttjwk3e/management-liablity_product-brochure_us_0126.pdf "Management liability — United States product brochure") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Brochure's 'What we decline' list; underwriting still applies to any individual business..) | 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. [5](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 | CFC says its directors and officers cover includes protection for the entity itself and aims to prevent directors and officers from having to sell personal assets to pay defense costs. [2](https://webcdn.cfc.com/media/0ttjwk3e/management-liablity_product-brochure_us_0126.pdf "Management liability — United States product brochure") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Brochure's 'Directors and officers cover' description; the issued policy wording determines actual entity and Side B/C coverage terms..)<br><br>CFC's brochure lists an additional limit for insured persons as part of the directors and officers liability section, on top of the package's base limit. [2](https://webcdn.cfc.com/media/0ttjwk3e/management-liablity_product-brochure_us_0126.pdf "Management liability — United States product brochure") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Brochure's 'What else is in the policy?' list; the dollar amount of that additional limit is not stated on the reviewed pages..)<br><br>CFC separately offers Side A DIC (difference in conditions), which it describes as excess coverage for directors and officers of private and publicly traded organizations, sitting above the primary management-liability D&O cover. [1](https://www.cfc.com/en-us/products/class/management-liability/ "Management liability") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Management-liability product page; Side A DIC has its own brochure that was not opened for this record, so its terms are not otherwise described here..) | 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. [5](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..) |
| Role in This Line | CFC includes directors and officers liability inside its US Management Liability package rather than selling it as a standalone product. It separately sells Side A DIC, an excess policy that sits above a company's existing D&O program. [1](https://www.cfc.com/en-us/products/class/management-liability/ "Management liability") [2](https://webcdn.cfc.com/media/0ttjwk3e/management-liablity_product-brochure_us_0126.pdf "Management liability — United States product brochure") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: CFC's management-liability product page and brochure; package composition as CFC describes it..) | 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. [5](https://www.startupinsurance.ai/ "Startup Insurance | Coverage that clears the review") [7](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..) |

## About CFC and StartupInsurance.ai and D&O Insurance

- [CFC company profile](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/cfc) · [CFC customer reviews](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/cfc/reviews)
- [StartupInsurance.ai company profile](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/startupinsurance) · [StartupInsurance.ai customer reviews](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/startupinsurance/reviews)
- [What Is Directors and Officers Insurance?](https://spot.insure/coverage/directors-officers)

## Related Pages for CFC vs StartupInsurance.ai D&O Insurance

- [CFC vs StartupInsurance.ai](https://spot.insure/compare/cfc-vs-startupinsurance): all coverage lines, business roles, service and claims.
- [What Is Directors and Officers Insurance?](https://spot.insure/coverage/directors-officers): D&O insurance can protect leaders and, in some policies, the company from covered management claims; company coverage, defense costs and limits differ by quote.
- [CFC D&O Insurance](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/cfc/directors-officers)
- [StartupInsurance.ai D&O Insurance](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/startupinsurance/directors-officers)

## Sources for CFC vs StartupInsurance.ai D&O Insurance

### Sources About CFC

1. [Management liability](https://www.cfc.com/en-us/products/class/management-liability/). CFC; Our management liability products: Management liability, Side A DIC. Accessed 2026-09-23.
2. [Management liability — United States product brochure](https://webcdn.cfc.com/media/0ttjwk3e/management-liablity_product-brochure_us_0126.pdf). CFC; Directors and officers cover; At a glance: What we like; What we decline; What else is in the policy?. Accessed 2026-09-23.
3. [Regulatory information](https://www.cfc.com/en-us/support/regulatory-information/). CFC; CFC Underwriting Limited; CFC Lloyd's Syndicate 1988. Accessed 2026-09-23.
4. [Claims](https://www.cfc.com/en-us/claims/). CFC; Notify a claim or cyber incident; We're in it with you. Accessed 2026-09-23.

### Sources About StartupInsurance.ai

5. [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.
6. [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.
7. [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.

Updated 2026-09-29. 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.

## Agent and Developer Resources

- [Markdown page](https://spot.insure/compare/cfc-vs-startupinsurance/directors-officers.md)
- [Developer resources](https://spot.insure/developers)
- [Public MCP server](https://spot.insure/mcp)
- [MCP server manifest](https://spot.insure/server.json)
- [OpenAPI description](https://spot.insure/openapi.json)
- [Public page index](https://spot.insure/llms.txt)