---
title: "Corgi vs Founder Shield D&O Insurance"
description: "Corgi underwrites startup D&O at an RRG; Founder Shield brokers D&O with A- or better carriers and a $5–10M market layer."
canonical: "https://spot.insure/compare/corgi-vs-foundershield/directors-officers"
page-type: "line-comparison"
updated-at: "2026-09-23"
---

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# Corgi vs Founder Shield D&O Insurance

Corgi underwrites startup D&O at an RRG; Founder Shield brokers D&O with A- or better carriers and a $5–10M market layer.

## Research Scope and Use

Use this comparison to evaluate Corgi and Founder Shield 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

Corgi sells a claims-made D&O form underwritten by Technology Risk Retention Group, Inc., with an illustrative $1 million / $2 million structure. Founder Shield is a retail brokerage that places D&O with third-party carriers rated A- or better and describes a typical market base layer of $5 million to $10 million in combined A-B-C coverage. [6](https://www.corgi.insure/directors-and-officers "Directors & Officers (D&O) Insurance for Startups") [13](https://foundershield.com/about-us/ "About Us") [9](https://foundershield.com/insurance-faqs/general-faqs/how-do-you-decide-which-carriers-to-approach/ "How Do You Decide Which Carriers to Approach?")

## What Is Corgi Insurance?

Corgi Insurance sells commercial coverage to technology startups through stage-based packages (pre-seed and seed, Series A, and growth stage) that combine general liability, directors and officers, technology E&O, cyber, and related lines, alongside a growing small-business product line for other industries. Coverage may be issued by Corgi’s own risk retention group, an affiliated admitted carrier, or a partner insurer, so the issuing entity and available protections depend on the specific product and state. [1](https://www.corgi.insure/disclaimers "Disclaimers & Licensing") [2](https://www.corgi.insure "Corgi Insurance homepage") [3](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/corgi-insurance-launches-admitted-insurance-carrier-302860246.html "Corgi Insurance Launches Admitted Insurance Carrier") [4](https://content.naic.org/sites/default/files/publication-loc-zu-listing-companies-summary.pdf "NAIC Listing of Companies") [5](https://content.naic.org/insurance-topics/risk-retention-groups "Insurance Topics: Risk Retention Groups")

[Corgi profile](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/corgi)

## What Is Founder Shield Insurance?

Founder Shield is a commercial insurance broker for venture-backed and growing businesses. Buyers can request coverage through its online portal and work with advisors on insurer selection, policy changes and claims reporting. [7](https://foundershield.com/ "Founder Shield") [8](https://apx.foundershield.com/ "Quote Portal") [9](https://foundershield.com/insurance-faqs/general-faqs/how-do-you-decide-which-carriers-to-approach/ "How Do You Decide Which Carriers to Approach?") [10](https://foundershield.com/insurance-faqs/general-faqs/what-if-our-company-grows-a-lot-or-things-change-during-the-year/ "What If Our Company Grows A Lot or Things Change During the Year?") [11](https://foundershield.com/claims/ "Claims")

[Founder Shield profile](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/foundershield)

## What Is Directors and Officers Insurance?

Directors and officers liability insurance addresses covered claims alleging wrongful acts in managing an organization. [14](https://www.thehartford.com/business-insurance/glossary-of-business-insurance-terms "Glossary of Business Insurance Terms")

## Key Differences in D&O Insurance

### Named Underwriter Versus A-or-Better Placement

Corgi’s D&O is a claims-made policy underwritten by Technology Risk Retention Group, Inc. Founder Shield is a retail brokerage, described as the innovation arm of The Baldwin Group, and places D&O with third-party carriers rather than underwriting it. Founder Shield says it places policies only with carriers rated A- or better by AM Best and does not name the issuing insurer for this line. A Corgi quote names the RRG; a Founder Shield quote names a market after placement. [6](https://www.corgi.insure/directors-and-officers "Directors & Officers (D&O) Insurance for Startups") [12](https://foundershield.com/coverage/directors-and-officers-insurance/ "Directors & Officers Insurance") [13](https://foundershield.com/about-us/ "About Us") [9](https://foundershield.com/insurance-faqs/general-faqs/how-do-you-decide-which-carriers-to-approach/ "How Do You Decide Which Carriers to Approach?")

### Who Each Offering Is Aimed At

Corgi times packages to pre-seed and seed. Founder Shield targets public and private businesses, venture-backed companies and businesses owing more than $1 million to creditors. A seed-stage buyer is in Corgi’s stated window; a company with large creditor exposure is in Founder Shield’s stated set. [6](https://www.corgi.insure/directors-and-officers "Directors & Officers (D&O) Insurance for Startups") [12](https://foundershield.com/coverage/directors-and-officers-insurance/ "Directors & Officers Insurance")

### Illustrative $1 Million / $2 Million Versus a $5–10 Million Base Layer

Corgi’s illustrative structure shows limits up to $1 million per claim and $2 million in the aggregate, with a $25,000 retention (none on Side A) and defense inside the limit. Founder Shield 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 it itself offers. Those are different kinds of published numbers: Corgi’s illustration versus Founder Shield’s market-layer description. [6](https://www.corgi.insure/directors-and-officers "Directors & Officers (D&O) Insurance for Startups") [12](https://foundershield.com/coverage/directors-and-officers-insurance/ "Directors & Officers Insurance")

## What to Confirm in D&O Insurance Quotes

- Confirm Technology Risk Retention Group, Inc. is the issuer on a Corgi quote. [6](https://www.corgi.insure/directors-and-officers "Directors & Officers (D&O) Insurance for Startups")

- Ask Founder Shield which A- or better carrier would issue the policy and whether the quote uses a $5–10 million base layer. [9](https://foundershield.com/insurance-faqs/general-faqs/how-do-you-decide-which-carriers-to-approach/ "How Do You Decide Which Carriers to Approach?") [12](https://foundershield.com/coverage/directors-and-officers-insurance/ "Directors & Officers Insurance")

- Compare Corgi’s illustrative $1 million / $2 million structure with the actual Founder Shield placed limit. [6](https://www.corgi.insure/directors-and-officers "Directors & Officers (D&O) Insurance for Startups") [12](https://foundershield.com/coverage/directors-and-officers-insurance/ "Directors & Officers Insurance")

- Ask Corgi which of the three optional endorsements are included. [6](https://www.corgi.insure/directors-and-officers "Directors & Officers (D&O) Insurance for Startups")

## Offering Details

| Criteria | Corgi Directors & Officers (D&O) | Founder Shield Directors & Officers Insurance |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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. [6](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..) | 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. [13](https://foundershield.com/about-us/ "About Us") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: 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. [6](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..) | 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. [9](https://foundershield.com/insurance-faqs/general-faqs/how-do-you-decide-which-carriers-to-approach/ "How Do You Decide Which Carriers to Approach?") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: General carrier-selection FAQ, not specific to this line's placements..) |
| Who It’s For | Not described in the reviewed sources. | Founder Shield targets D&O at public and private businesses, venture-backed companies (it says almost every institutional term sheet requires the coverage), and businesses owing more than $1 million to creditors. [12](https://foundershield.com/coverage/directors-and-officers-insurance/ "Directors & Officers Insurance") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Directors & Officers Insurance product page..) |
| 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. [6](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..)<br><br>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. [6](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..)<br><br>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. [6](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..) | 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. [12](https://foundershield.com/coverage/directors-and-officers-insurance/ "Directors & Officers Insurance") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Product page; the issued policy and declarations control actual coverage..) |
| 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. [6](https://www.corgi.insure/directors-and-officers "Directors & Officers (D&O) Insurance for Startups") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: 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. [12](https://foundershield.com/coverage/directors-and-officers-insurance/ "Directors & Officers Insurance") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: General market description on the product page, not a stated Founder Shield minimum or maximum..) |
| 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). [6](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..) | Not described in the reviewed sources. |
| How to Apply | You can request a D&O quote online through Corgi's self-serve application. [6](https://www.corgi.insure/directors-and-officers "Directors & Officers (D&O) Insurance for Startups") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: 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. [13](https://foundershield.com/about-us/ "About Us") [9](https://foundershield.com/insurance-faqs/general-faqs/how-do-you-decide-which-carriers-to-approach/ "How Do You Decide Which Carriers to Approach?") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: About-us and carrier-selection pages describe the general placement process, not a line-specific application form..) |

## Full Comparison

- [Corgi vs Founder Shield](https://spot.insure/compare/corgi-vs-foundershield): 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.
- [Corgi vs Founder Shield Cargo and Transit Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/corgi-vs-foundershield/cargo-transit)
- [Corgi vs Founder Shield Crime Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/corgi-vs-foundershield/crime)
- [Corgi vs Founder Shield Cyber Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/corgi-vs-foundershield/cyber)
- [Corgi vs Founder Shield Employment Practices Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/corgi-vs-foundershield/employment-practices)
- [Corgi vs Founder Shield Fiduciary Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/corgi-vs-foundershield/fiduciary)
- [Corgi vs Founder Shield General Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/corgi-vs-foundershield/general-liability)
- [Corgi vs Founder Shield Hired and Non-Owned Auto Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/corgi-vs-foundershield/hired-non-owned-auto)
- [Corgi vs Founder Shield Media Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/corgi-vs-foundershield/media)
- [Corgi vs Founder Shield Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/corgi-vs-foundershield/professional-errors-omissions)
- [Corgi vs Founder Shield Representations and Warranties Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/corgi-vs-foundershield/representations-warranties)
- [Corgi vs Founder Shield Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/corgi-vs-foundershield/umbrella-excess)
- [Corgi vs Founder Shield Workers’ Compensation Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/corgi-vs-foundershield/workers-compensation)
- [Alliance Risk vs Corgi D&O Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/alliance-risk-vs-corgi/directors-officers)
- [Alliance Risk vs Founder Shield D&O Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/alliance-risk-vs-foundershield/directors-officers)
- [Amelia Risk vs Corgi D&O Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/amelia-risk-vs-corgi/directors-officers)
- [Amelia Risk vs Founder Shield D&O Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/amelia-risk-vs-foundershield/directors-officers)
- [Beazley vs Corgi D&O Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/beazley-vs-corgi/directors-officers)
- [Beazley vs Founder Shield D&O Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/beazley-vs-foundershield/directors-officers)

## Sources

### Corgi

1. [Disclaimers & Licensing](https://www.corgi.insure/disclaimers). Corgi Insurance Services, Inc.; Carrier Financial Strength (including “federally chartered” and “federal prudential oversight” wording); About Corgi; Licensing; Premium and Payment Disclosures (producer commissions, fees, or other consideration, amounts available on request); Binding Authority and Policy Issuance; page last updated 04/05/26. Accessed 2026-09-15.
2. [Corgi Insurance homepage](https://www.corgi.insure). Corgi Insurance Services, Inc.; Product packages: Cyber and Directors & Officers; Growth Stage and Custom Package; Self-Serve (apply, get quoted in minutes, bind same-day) and Book a Demo paths; Explore Our Main Policies: Commercial General Liability, Crime Insurance, Fiduciary Liability, Hired and Non-Owned Auto (HNOA), Worker’s Compensation; Specialized coverages: Employment Practices Liability (EPLI), K&R (Kidnap & Ransom), Representations and Warranties; Commercial Umbrella Liability; Business Owners Policy (BOP); Coverage sales cards: Media Liability, Medical Malpractice, Miscellaneous E&O; Core Operations: Tech E&O Insurance; Tech & AI Liability product module; Transportation menu: Auto Liability, Contractual Liability Insurance - Cargo; FAQ on cost, claims, and binding; footer entity, program-administrator and issuing-carrier notices. Accessed 2026-09-16.
3. [Corgi Insurance Launches Admitted Insurance Carrier](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/corgi-insurance-launches-admitted-insurance-carrier-302860246.html). PR Newswire (Corgi press release); Announcement of Corgi Insurance Company, Inc.; planned small-business product classes; guaranty-association eligibility statement. Accessed 2026-09-15.
4. [NAIC Listing of Companies](https://content.naic.org/sites/default/files/publication-loc-zu-listing-companies-summary.pdf). National Association of Insurance Commissioners; June 2026 listing, numerical entry 17763 P 1 AZ TECHNOLOGY RRG INC. Accessed 2026-09-15.
5. [Insurance Topics: Risk Retention Groups](https://content.naic.org/insurance-topics/risk-retention-groups). National Association of Insurance Commissioners; Topic page last updated 13 October 2025: member-owned liability insurers formed under state and federal law; may be formed under a state's captive or traditional insurance laws; domiciled in one state and registered in others; treated as multi-state companies subject to modified NAIC accreditation standards. Accessed 2026-09-15.
6. [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.

### Founder Shield

7. [Founder Shield](https://foundershield.com/). Founder Shield; Opening broker description; Specialized Practices; Smart Tech, Smarter People; quote and sign-in links. Accessed 2026-09-15.
8. [Quote Portal](https://apx.foundershield.com/). Founder Shield; Public landing screen, Create Account and Sign In links. Accessed 2026-09-15.
9. [How Do You Decide Which Carriers to Approach?](https://foundershield.com/insurance-faqs/general-faqs/how-do-you-decide-which-carriers-to-approach/). Founder Shield; FAQ answer on carrier selection: works exclusively with A-rated (AM Best) carriers, matched by industry appetite. Accessed 2026-09-23.
10. [What If Our Company Grows A Lot or Things Change During the Year?](https://foundershield.com/insurance-faqs/general-faqs/what-if-our-company-grows-a-lot-or-things-change-during-the-year/). Founder Shield; Carl Niedbala answer, November 25, 2024: operational changes and coverage adjustments. Accessed 2026-09-15.
11. [Claims](https://foundershield.com/claims/). Founder Shield; Our Approach; How We Support Claims Management, steps 1–5; Make a claim link. Accessed 2026-09-15.
12. [Directors & Officers Insurance](https://foundershield.com/coverage/directors-and-officers-insurance/). Founder Shield; What Is D&O Insurance; Who Needs D&O Insurance Coverage; What Does D&O Insurance Cover?. Accessed 2026-09-23.
13. [About Us](https://foundershield.com/about-us/). Founder Shield; “Founder Shield is the innovation arm of The Baldwin Group”; company history and mission. Accessed 2026-09-23.

### D&O Insurance Guide

14. [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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