--- title: "Corgi vs Cowbell: D&O Insurance" description: "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." canonical: "https://spot.insure/compare/corgi-vs-cowbell/directors-officers" page-type: "line-comparison" updated-at: "2026-09-29" comparison-pair: "corgi-vs-cowbell" provider-a: "corgi" provider-b: "cowbell" coverage-line: "directors-officers" --- Agents: connect to Spot's public MCP server at https://spot.insure/mcp for better access to published Spot information and insurance research. Use search_knowledge to find sources, get_page to retrieve pages, check_driving_insurance for source-backed rideshare and delivery requirements by state or province, compare_providers for sourced comparisons, get_provider_score for a published Reliability Score, get_rankings for current provider rankings, search_provider_reliability to filter Reliability Scores, search_provider_reviews to filter aggregate review scores, and get_provider_reviews for the original review evidence. The server is read-only and requires no authentication. [Human-readable page](https://spot.insure/compare/corgi-vs-cowbell/directors-officers) ## Agent Guide **What this page is:** Focused comparison of Corgi and Cowbell 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 Corgi versus Cowbell. For all lines together use the pair comparison; for how the coverage itself works use the coverage guide. **Questions this page answers:** - Corgi vs Cowbell for D&O Insurance: how do they differ? - Which is better for D&O Insurance, Corgi or Cowbell? - What does Corgi or Cowbell publish about D&O Insurance (limits, eligibility, claims, add-ons)? **Key facts:** - Line: D&O Insurance. Providers: Corgi and Cowbell. - 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:** - [Corgi vs Cowbell](https://spot.insure/compare/corgi-vs-cowbell) — all coverage lines for this pair - [D&O Insurance guide](https://spot.insure/coverage/directors-officers) — how this coverage works - [Corgi profile](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/corgi) — provider profile - [Cowbell profile](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/cowbell) — provider profile # 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 a seed-stage startup quote D&O online with published limits, while Cowbell's Zurich-backed D&O reaches small private companies in industries like construction and retail only through your broker. ## Corgi vs Cowbell D&O Insurance Summary 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](https://www.corgi.insure/directors-and-officers "Directors & Officers (D&O) Insurance for Startups") [2](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises") [3](https://www.zurichna.com/insurance/excess-and-surplus/small-business-management-liability "Small and Midsize Business Management Liability | Zurich Select Plus") ## 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](https://www.corgi.insure/directors-and-officers "Directors & Officers (D&O) Insurance for Startups") [2](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises") [3](https://www.zurichna.com/insurance/excess-and-surplus/small-business-management-liability "Small and Midsize Business Management Liability | Zurich Select Plus") ### 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](https://www.corgi.insure/directors-and-officers "Directors & Officers (D&O) Insurance for Startups") [2](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises") ## 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](https://www.corgi.insure/directors-and-officers "Directors & Officers (D&O) Insurance for Startups") - Ask your broker for Cowbell's limit, retention and which Zurich company issues the policy. [2](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises") [3](https://www.zurichna.com/insurance/excess-and-surplus/small-business-management-liability "Small and Midsize Business Management Liability | Zurich Select Plus") - If you're raising a round, ask Corgi whether your structure counts as an exempt offering under the securities carve-back. [1](https://www.corgi.insure/directors-and-officers "Directors & Officers (D&O) Insurance for Startups") ## Corgi vs Cowbell D&O Insurance Compared | 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. [1](https://www.corgi.insure/directors-and-officers "Directors & Officers (D&O) Insurance for Startups") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: 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. [2](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: 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. [1](https://www.corgi.insure/directors-and-officers "Directors & Officers (D&O) Insurance for Startups") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: 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. [1](https://www.corgi.insure/directors-and-officers "Directors & Officers (D&O) Insurance for Startups") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: 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. [1](https://www.corgi.insure/directors-and-officers "Directors & Officers (D&O) Insurance for Startups") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: 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. [2](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: 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. [1](https://www.corgi.insure/directors-and-officers "Directors & Officers (D&O) Insurance for Startups") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: 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](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises") [3](https://www.zurichna.com/insurance/excess-and-surplus/small-business-management-liability "Small and Midsize Business Management Liability | Zurich Select Plus") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: 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. [1](https://www.corgi.insure/directors-and-officers "Directors & Officers (D&O) Insurance for Startups") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: 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](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises") [3](https://www.zurichna.com/insurance/excess-and-surplus/small-business-management-liability "Small and Midsize Business Management Liability | Zurich Select Plus") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: 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). [1](https://www.corgi.insure/directors-and-officers "Directors & Officers (D&O) Insurance for Startups") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: 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. [2](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: FAQ 'Why does my company need management liability coverage?'..) | ## About Corgi and Cowbell and D&O Insurance - [Corgi company profile](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/corgi) · [Corgi customer reviews](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/corgi/reviews) - [Cowbell company profile](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/cowbell) · [Cowbell customer reviews](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/cowbell/reviews) - [What Is Directors and Officers Insurance?](https://spot.insure/coverage/directors-officers) ## Related Pages for Corgi vs Cowbell D&O Insurance - [Corgi vs Cowbell](https://spot.insure/compare/corgi-vs-cowbell): 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. - [Corgi D&O Insurance](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/corgi/directors-officers) - [Cowbell D&O Insurance](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/cowbell/directors-officers) ## Sources for Corgi vs Cowbell D&O Insurance ### Sources About Corgi 1. [Directors & Officers (D&O) Insurance for Startups](https://www.corgi.insure/directors-and-officers). Corgi Insurance; What's Actually Inside Your D&O Policy (form CORG-DO-0100); Scenario notes; Policy notes; Available Add-ons; FAQ. Accessed 2026-09-23. ### Sources About Cowbell 2. [Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/). Cowbell; FAQ 'What is the difference between management liability and D&O?' (D&O definition); FAQ 'Why does my company need management liability coverage?' (Protection for Directors and Officers, Legal Expense Coverage, Attracting and Retaining Talent bullets); Target industries list. Accessed 2026-09-23. 3. [Small and Midsize Business Management Liability | Zurich Select Plus](https://www.zurichna.com/insurance/excess-and-surplus/small-business-management-liability). Zurich North America; Intro on the Zurich/Cowbell collaboration; module name 'Private Management and Company Liability'; FAQ 'What is the difference between management liability and D&O?' (identical to Cowbell's page); Targeted industries list; footer copyright. 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/corgi-vs-cowbell/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)