Founder Shield vs Risklytics: How Do They Compare for Intellectual Property Insurance?

Founder Shield targets IP coverage at companies holding one or more patents, businesses vulnerable to competitor infringement claims, and companies at risk of accidentally infringing another party's IP. ¹Company-reported. Intellectual Property Insurance product page.

Risklytics says buyers typically need this coverage at their first filed patent or the first contract requiring them to cover a customer's IP claims, and that enterprise contracts with an IP indemnity clause require it; it adds that companies without patents can still need the line because trademarks, copyrighted code and trade secrets count too. ⁴Company-reported. Lines page.

You request Founder Shield Intellectual Property 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. ^2,3Company-reported. About-us and carrier-selection pages describe the general placement process, not a line-specific application form.

You start Risklytics Intellectual Property Insurance through Risklytics' online application. Risklytics says there is no broker fee on top of the premium and a licensed producer stays on the file until the program binds; its commission is paid by the carrier out of the premium either way. ^6,5Company-reported. Pricing page describes the general application and fee process, not a line-specific form.

Founder Shield describes two components: defense coverage (legal costs and judgments if the policyholder is accused of infringement) and enforcement coverage (funding, with underwriter approval, to sue an infringer and recoup lost income). ¹Company-reported. Product page; the issued policy and declarations control actual coverage.

Risklytics describes this line as paying legal costs on both sides of an IP dispute: defending a claim that the company's product infringes someone else's patent, trademark or copyright, and pursuing an infringer of its own IP, and distinguishes it from cyber liability, which would answer source code stolen in a breach rather than an infringement claim. ⁴Company-reported. Lines page; the issued policy and declarations control actual coverage.

Founder Shield is a retail insurance brokerage, described on its site as “the innovation arm of The Baldwin Group,” and places Founder Shield Intellectual Property Insurance with third-party carriers rather than underwriting the policy itself. ²Company-reported. About-us page; applies to Founder Shield's brokerage model generally, restated here for this line.

Risklytics Insurance Services is a licensed insurance producer (NPN 22311838) that places Risklytics Intellectual Property Insurance with outside carriers; it says it does not underwrite policies itself. ⁵Company-reported. About page; describes Risklytics' brokerage model generally, restated for this line.

Founder Shield says it places policies, including Founder Shield Intellectual Property 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. ³Company-reported. General carrier-selection FAQ, not specific to this line's placements.

Risklytics does not name the carrier that underwrites Risklytics Intellectual Property Insurance on its site. It says it places business with specialist insurers willing to write robotics, autonomy and AI risk; the issuing carrier appears on the bound policy. ^4,5Company-reported. Lines page and about page; no specific insurer is published for this line.