Corgi vs 
Cowbell: How Do They Compare for D&O Insurance?
Corgi sells standalone startup D&O online with example limits up to $1 million per claim and $2 million total; Cowbell distributes Zurich’s module through firms Zurich appoints to distribute the module to smaller private companies.
Corgi lets startups quote D&O online, with an illustrative $1M per claim and $2M aggregate and a $25,000 retention. Cowbell's D&O, written by Zurich, targets private companies under 250 employees and $50M in assets, and you can only get it through a broker who uses a Zurich wholesaler. 1,2,3
What Are the Key Differences Between Corgi and Cowbell D&O Insurance?
Self-Serve Startup Policy vs Small-Business D&O Through Your Broker
Corgi sells D&O standalone or inside its pre-seed and seed packages, and there's no retention on Side A, so your directors pay nothing out of pocket when the company can't indemnify them. Cowbell's module sits inside Zurich's Select Plus management-liability product, aimed at technology, construction, manufacturing, hospitality and retail companies, with no published limits. Choose Corgi if you're an early-stage startup that wants to buy online and see the terms first; choose Cowbell if you're an established small private company outside tech and your broker works with Zurich wholesalers. 1 2 3
What Corgi's Form Tells You That Cowbell's Page Doesn't
Corgi's form keeps cover for Regulation D private placements, the way most startups raise, while excluding registered public offerings. It covers individuals who get a Wells Notice or subpoena but not a regulator's investigation of the company itself, and it sells add-ons for outside board seats, crisis PR and investigation costs. Cowbell says only that D&O protects directors' personal assets and the company's finances against wrongful-act claims. 1 2
What Should You Confirm in Corgi and Cowbell D&O Insurance Quotes?
- Corgi's D&O is written by Technology Risk Retention Group, a risk retention group. Ask whether it's available in your state and what backs it, since risk retention groups aren't covered by state guaranty funds. 1
- Ask your broker for Cowbell's limit, retention and which Zurich company issues the policy. 2 3
- If you're raising a round, ask Corgi whether your structure counts as an exempt offering under the securities carve-back. 1
Corgi vs Cowbell D&O Insurance Compared
Corgi vs Cowbell: D&O Insurance: documented features by provider
| Criteria | Corgi Directors & Officers (D&O) | Cowbell / Zurich Select Plus Private Company D&O |
|---|---|---|
| How to Apply | You can request a D&O quote online through Corgi's self-serve application. 1Company-reported. Product page quote call to action. | This D&O module is accessed only by appointed Zurich E&S wholesalers through the Cowbell platform's API; it is not sold directly to businesses. 2Company-reported. FAQ 'How can I access the Zurich Select Plus management liability product through Cowbell?'. |
| Coverage Features | The policy has three coverage parts: Side A pays individual directors and officers directly when the company cannot indemnify them and carries no retention; Side B reimburses the company when it does indemnify directors and officers; Side C covers the company entity itself, subject to additional exclusions including intellectual-property claims and contractual liability. 1Company-reported. Coverage summary for form CORG-DO-0100; the issued policy and declarations control. The standard policy excludes claims from registered public securities offerings, but a carve-back preserves coverage for exempt transactions such as Regulation D private placements, which Corgi says covers how most startups raise capital. 1Company-reported. Scenario notes for form CORG-DO-0100; not every fundraising structure automatically qualifies as exempt. Corgi covers individual directors and officers (Sides A and B) who receive a Wells Notice, subpoena or target letter from a regulator, but the standard policy excludes entity-level regulatory investigations of the company itself. 1Company-reported. Policy notes for form CORG-DO-0100; informal inquiries and document requests that don't rise to these triggers are not covered. | Cowbell describes D&O liability as protecting the personal assets of directors and officers and the company's financial assets against claims alleging wrongful acts in their capacity as directors and officers. 2Company-reported. FAQ 'What is the difference between management liability and D&O?'. |
| Role in This Line | Corgi sells D&O as a standalone startup policy and also bundles it into its stage-based packages starting at pre-seed and seed, describing it as protection for directors and officers against personal financial liability for management decisions. 1Company-reported. Product page for form CORG-DO-0100, last reviewed by Corgi on April 24, 2026 per the page itself. | Private Company D&O is one module within Cowbell's distribution of Zurich's Select Plus management liability product; Cowbell gives Zurich-appointed E&S wholesalers platform access, and Zurich underwrites the module. Zurich's own page labels this module 'Private Management and Company Liability' rather than plain 'D&O.' 2,3Company-reported. Management liability page intro and module list; Zurich page module-name section. |
| Issuing Insurer | Corgi's D&O product page states directly that the policy is a claims-made policy underwritten by Technology Risk Retention Group, Inc., a risk retention group. 1Company-reported. Policy Boundaries section of the D&O product page; this is a line-specific underwriter statement, distinct from Corgi's general multi-entity disclaimer. | Cowbell and Zurich both say the Select Plus modules, including D&O, are offered on Zurich admitted paper. Zurich's site footer names 'Zurich American Insurance Company' in its copyright notice, but neither page states that entity is the specific policy issuer for this D&O module. 2,3Company-reported. Management liability page intro; Zurich page intro and footer. |
| Risk Services | Corgi offers three optional D&O endorsements: Outside Directorship (extends coverage to directors and officers serving on outside boards at the company's request), Crisis Event Expense (covers PR and crisis-communications costs after negative publicity), and Investigative Costs (broader coverage for regulatory inquiries short of a formal claim). 1Company-reported. Available Add-ons section of the product page; endorsement availability varies by jurisdiction and underwriting, and each requires a separate endorsement to apply. | Cowbell frames D&O coverage as a way to help attract and retain directors and officers by giving them personal-asset protection, and says the product covers legal fees, settlements, and other defense costs for the company and its management. 2Company-reported. FAQ 'Why does my company need management liability coverage?'. |
