Corgi vs Founder Shield: How Do They Compare for D&O Insurance?

Corgi sells startup D&O online with example limits up to $1 million per claim and $2 million total; Founder Shield brokers placements for venture-backed, public, and private businesses.

Corgi lets pre-seed and seed startups quote D&O online, with sample limits of $1 million per claim and $2 million a year. Founder Shield is a broker that places D&O only with insurers rated A- or better and says a typical base layer runs $5 million to $10 million. ^1,^3,⁴

What Are the Key Differences Between Corgi and Founder Shield D&O Insurance?

Seed-Stage Starter Policy vs Broker for Bigger Programs

Corgi sells its own claims-made D&O form, on its own or in packages timed to pre-seed and seed. Founder Shield, the innovation arm of The Baldwin Group, brokers D&O for public and private companies, venture-backed startups and businesses owing more than $1 million to creditors. ¹ ² ³ Choose Corgi if you are a pre-seed or seed startup that needs about $1 million of D&O quickly; choose Founder Shield if you are later-stage, public, or carrying significant debt and need $5 million or more. ¹ ²

$1 Million Starter Limits vs a $5–10 Million Market Layer

Corgi's sample structure is up to $1 million per claim and $2 million a year, with a $25,000 retention (none when an individual director is paying) and defense costs inside the limit, so legal bills reduce what's left for a settlement. Founder Shield says the typical market base layer is $5 million to $10 million of combined Side A, B and C cover, though it publishes no limit of its own. ¹ ²

Who Stands Behind the Policy

Founder Shield places only with insurers rated A- or better by AM Best, which sets a floor on the financial strength behind your claim. ⁴ Corgi's policy is issued by Technology Risk Retention Group, Inc., a risk retention group. ¹

What Should You Confirm in Corgi and Founder Shield D&O Insurance Quotes?

Ask Corgi for the financial strength rating of Technology Risk Retention Group and which of its three optional endorsements are included. ¹
Ask Founder Shield which insurer would issue the policy and whether the quote uses a $5–10 million base layer. ⁴ ²
Compare Corgi's $1 million / $2 million structure with Founder Shield's placed limit. ¹ ²

Corgi vs Founder Shield D&O Insurance Compared

Corgi vs Founder Shield: D&O Insurance: documented features by provider

Criteria	Corgi Directors & Officers (D&O)	Founder Shield Directors & Officers Insurance
Limits and Retentions	Corgi's illustrative D&O structure shows limits up to $1 million per claim and $2 million in the aggregate, with a $25,000 self-insured retention per claim (no retention on Side A) and defense costs included within the limit. ¹Company-reported. Illustrative policy structure on the product page; actual limits and retentions appear on the declarations.	Founder Shield's page describes a typical market base layer of $5 million to $10 million in combined A-B-C coverage, but does not publish a specific limit Founder Shield itself offers; actual limits are set on the quote. ²Company-reported. General market description on the product page, not a stated Founder Shield minimum or maximum.
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.	You request Founder Shield Directors & Officers Insurance through Founder Shield's website or an insurance advisor rather than binding coverage directly; Founder Shield says its placement team then approaches carriers on the client's behalf. ^3,⁴Company-reported. About-us and carrier-selection pages describe the general placement process, not a line-specific application form.
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.	Founder Shield describes a three-part structure: Side A pays individual directors/officers directly when the company cannot or will not indemnify them, Side B reimburses the company for indemnification it pays, and Side C provides entity coverage for the company itself. ²Company-reported. Product page; the issued policy and declarations control actual coverage.
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.	Founder Shield is a retail insurance brokerage, described on its site as “the innovation arm of The Baldwin Group,” and places Founder Shield Directors & Officers Insurance with third-party carriers rather than underwriting the policy itself. ³Company-reported. About-us page; applies to Founder Shield's brokerage model generally, restated here for this line.
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.	Founder Shield says it places policies, including Founder Shield Directors & Officers Insurance, only with carriers rated A- or better by AM Best, chosen for the client's industry. It does not name the issuing insurer for this line; that depends on which carrier the policy is placed with. ⁴Company-reported. General carrier-selection FAQ, not specific to this line's placements.