Embroker vs 
Marsh D&O Insurance
Embroker prices D&O through its own online underwriting; Marsh prices it through an advisory relationship and separately flags ESG-related risk.
What Is Embroker?
Embroker is a business insurance broker and online platform serving startups, technology companies and professional-services firms, with proprietary programs and broker-assisted placements. 1,2,3
What Is Marsh?
Marsh is a global insurance broker and risk advisor. In the United States it places coverage through core Marsh teams and through Marsh McLennan Agency for many middle-market buyers, including technology, cyber, property, casualty and benefits programs. 5,6,7,8
What Is Directors and Officers Insurance?
Directors and officers liability insurance addresses covered claims alleging wrongful acts in managing an organization. 11
Key Differences in D&O Insurance
How You Get a Quote
Embroker prices D&O itself, running revenue, industry risk and claims history through its own online underwriting, while Marsh's financial and professional liability practice prices the same coverage through an advisory relationship rather than a self-serve form. 4 9 Choosing between them is really a choice between answering Embroker's questions directly or working through a broker who shops the placement on your behalf.
What Triggers a Claim
Embroker names specific misconduct its policy answers to, such as misuse of company funds and breach of fiduciary duty, while Marsh instead sorts exposure by company type, saying public companies more often face securities suits from shareholders and private or nonprofit companies more often face employment-practices claims. 4 9 Both are describing who ends up defending a D&O claim, just organized around a different starting question.
A Published Number and an Unquantified Risk
Marsh's D&O page does not publish a limit range, but Embroker does:
For its startup package, Embroker publishes illustrative D&O/EPLI/fiduciary limit and retention ranges by funding stage, from roughly $1-2 million in limits with a $10-25k retention for companies raising up to $10 million, up to $8-10 million in limits with a $25-75k retention for companies raising $100-250 million. 4Company-reported. Product-page cost table for the Embroker Startup Package; actual limits, retentions and premiums depend on underwriting.
Marsh instead names a risk category Embroker's page never raises, pointing to ESG-related governance scrutiny over board diversity and executive pay as added pressure on directors. 9
What to Confirm in D&O Insurance Quotes
- Ask Embroker whether the published funding-stage table applies to your company or whether underwriting would set a different limit and retention. 4
- Ask Marsh to name the entity that would actually issue your policy, since its D&O and MMA pages describe the practice but not an insurer. 9
- If a public-company seat is on your board, ask Marsh how its securities-exposure framing changes underwriting versus a private-company board. 9
- If board diversity or executive-pay scrutiny is live at your company, ask Marsh how that factors into pricing, since Embroker's page doesn't address it. 9
Offering Details
Embroker vs Marsh D&O Insurance: documented features by provider
| Criteria | Embroker Directors and Officers Insurance | Marsh Directors and Officers Liability (D&O) Insurance |
|---|---|---|
| Role in This Line | Embroker sells D&O as a standalone policy and offers to package it with cyber and workers' compensation; it also says EPLI, D&O and related coverages are sometimes bundled into a management liability program. 4Company-reported. Product-page description; not a statement about the issuing insurer. | Marsh's financial and professional liability practice places D&O insurance for public, private and non-profit companies; MMA also places D&O coverage within its executive and professional liability practice for middle-market clients. 9,10Company-reported. Marsh D&O page and MMA executive and professional liability page. |
| Issuing Insurer | Not described in the reviewed sources. | The reviewed pages do not name a specific D&O insurer. 9,10Not publicly disclosed. Marsh D&O page and MMA executive and professional liability page as read on 2026-09-23. |
| Who It’s For | Embroker markets D&O to any private or public company with a board of directors, startups that have received or are about to receive venture capital funding, and nonprofit corporations, saying VC and private equity investors commonly require it before funding. 4Company-reported. Product-page eligibility and 'Why Do Startups Need D&O Insurance?' sections; not a guarantee of coverage for a particular company. | Marsh says public company directors and officers typically face more securities-lawsuit exposure from shareholders and regulators, while private and non-profit organizations more often face employment-practices claims from customers, vendors or regulators; directors and officers of all organization types can face cyber-related liability exposure. 9Company-reported. Marsh D&O page, common risks FAQ. |
| Coverage Features | Embroker lists coverage for misuse of company funds, misrepresentation of company assets, breach of fiduciary duty, failure to comply with workplace laws and lack of corporate governance. 4Company-reported. Product-page What's covered section; the issued policy and declarations control. Embroker says the policy excludes lawsuits between members of the same company, criminal or deliberately fraudulent activity, prior-knowledge claims, and claims against directors actively engaged in antitrust violations. 4Company-reported. Product-page What's not included section. Embroker structures its D&O policy with three insuring agreements: Side A covers individual directors and officers when the company cannot indemnify them, Side B reimburses the company for indemnifying its leaders, and Side C covers the company itself when it is sued for financial mismanagement. 4Company-reported. Product-page 'What are Side A, B, and C insuring agreements?' section; specific policy structure, not a claim about every insurer's D&O form. | Marsh says D&O insurance typically has three coverage sides: Side A protects directors' and officers' personal assets when the organization cannot or will not indemnify them; Side B reimburses the organization for indemnifying directors and officers; Side C offers balance-sheet protection when the entity itself is named, generally limited to securities claims for public companies. 9Company-reported. Marsh D&O page FAQ; illustrative policy structure, not a specific policy form. Marsh says ESG-related stakeholder scrutiny, covering areas such as carbon emissions, renewable-energy use, labor practices, board diversity and executive compensation, can add regulatory, legislative or litigation pressure on directors and officers beyond traditional D&O exposures. 9Company-reported. Marsh D&O page, What other risks do directors and officers face? section. |
| Limits and Retentions | For its startup package, Embroker publishes illustrative D&O/EPLI/fiduciary limit and retention ranges by funding stage, from roughly $1-2 million in limits with a $10-25k retention for companies raising up to $10 million, up to $8-10 million in limits with a $25-75k retention for companies raising $100-250 million. 4Company-reported. Product-page cost table for the Embroker Startup Package; actual limits, retentions and premiums depend on underwriting. | Not described in the reviewed sources. |
| How to Apply | Embroker offers an online quote for D&O coverage through its digital platform, describing underwriting factors including revenue, industry risk and claims history. 4Company-reported. Product-page 'Quick quotes' feature and cost-factor list; no quote was requested during this research. | Not described in the reviewed sources. |
Full Comparison
More Embroker vs Marsh Comparisons
Other D&O Insurance Comparisons
Sources
Embroker
- Embroker. Embroker; Industry navigation; quote and sign-in links; coverage options; footer availability qualification. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- Terms And Conditions. Embroker; Introduction; §§2A–B Insurance services, 13 Applications and quotes, 15 Insurance companies and underwriting guidelines, 16 Certificates, 21 Surplus lines products, 22 Payments. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- Embroker Access. Embroker; EMIS announcement; appointed-broker quoting, binding and issuance; product links; footer identifies Embroker Insurance Services, LLC. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- Directors & Officers Insurance Coverage: D&O Explained. Embroker; Why it's essential; Who needs this coverage; What is Directors and Officers (D&O) insurance?; What's covered; What's not included; What are Side A, B, and C insuring agreements?; What does Directors and Officers insurance cost? Accessed 2026-09-23.
Marsh
- Marsh | Leader in risk, strategy, people, and investments. Marsh; Hero and capability tiles; FAQ: What does Marsh do?; industries served; Is Marsh the same as Marsh McLennan? January 2026 brand change. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Compensation guide for US clients. Marsh; US broking segments; broker role; retail commissions, client fees, wholesale, insurer consulting, contingent and supplemental commissions; Marsh LLC and Marsh USA LLC; page 3: broker role and Marsh & McLennan Agency segment; page 7: copyright © 2024 Marsh LLC. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Marsh McLennan Agency (MMA). Marsh; Middle-market US organizations; wholly-owned subsidiary; business insurance, employee health and benefits, retirement, private client. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Technology | Insurance Broking & Risk Management. Marsh; Opening Technology Practice description; practice links including data center insurance, fintech and Stratus; Talk to us. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Directors and Officers Liability (D&O). Marsh; Opening positioning for public, private and non-profit companies; FAQs: What are the most common risks for directors and officers?; What does D&O insurance cover? (Side A, B, C); What other risks do directors and officers face?; Ruth Kochenderfer, D&O Product Leader. Accessed 2026-09-23.
- Expert Executive and Professional Liability Insurance. Marsh McLennan Agency; Directors and Officers subsection: covers costs from claims for alleged wrongful acts, including defense costs for civil, criminal and regulatory investigations. Accessed 2026-09-23.
D&O Insurance Guide
- Glossary of Business Insurance Terms. The Hartford; Directors and Officers Liability Insurance; Errors and Omissions Insurance; Employment Practices Liability Insurance. Accessed 2026-09-16.
