Lockton vs 
StartupInsurance.ai: How Do They Compare for D&O Insurance?
Lockton designs broad D&O programs, while StartupInsurance.ai lists D&O for startups and puts the coverage first in its online quote intake.
StartupInsurance.ai puts D&O first in its online quote flow for founders whose term sheet requires it, and checks policies for blanket AI exclusions. Lockton designs and places custom D&O programs, with claims counsel inside your broking team from the start. 3,2,1
What Are the Key Differences Between Lockton and StartupInsurance.ai D&O Insurance?
Online Startup Start vs Custom Program Design
StartupInsurance.ai says one major carrier added a blanket AI exclusion to D&O, usually by endorsement at renewal, and its free check reviews an existing program for it within 48 hours. Lockton designs programs around emerging risks, including AI-related litigation, and says its claims counsel isn't run as a separate profit center. Choose StartupInsurance.ai if you're a venture-backed startup that needs D&O to close a round; choose Lockton if you have a complex board, subsidiaries or public-company exposure and want a program built around it. 2 3 1
Who the Policy Can Protect
Lockton says its programs can cover trustees, employees, contractors, committee members, volunteers, subsidiaries, spouses and estates. StartupInsurance.ai describes D&O simply as protection for your board and executives from lawsuits. 1 3
What Should You Confirm in Lockton and StartupInsurance.ai D&O Insurance Quotes?
- Ask StartupInsurance.ai which carrier on its panel would write your D&O and whether it carries an AI exclusion; its placements are arranged by ContractorNerd Insurance Services as broker of record. 2 4
- Ask Lockton which insurers it will approach and the limit it recommends. 1
- Ask StartupInsurance.ai who handles your claim; its pages don't say. 2
Lockton vs StartupInsurance.ai D&O Insurance Compared
Lockton vs StartupInsurance.ai: D&O Insurance: documented features by provider
| Criteria | Lockton Directors & Officers (D&O) Insurance Brokerage | StartupInsurance.ai Directors & Officers (D&O) Insurance |
|---|---|---|
| Who It’s For | Lockton says D&O coverage it places can extend beyond directors and officers to trustees, employees, independent contractors, staff, committee members, volunteers, the corporate entity, majority-owned subsidiaries, spouses/domestic partners, and estates/heirs. 1Company-reported. D&O product page as read 2026-09-23. Describes who can typically be covered under a program Lockton structures, not a guarantee for any specific client. | StartupInsurance.ai frames D&O as coverage founders typically need once an investor's term sheet requires it, positioning the line for venture-backed startups with a board rather than pre-revenue companies with no outside investors. 2Company-reported. Homepage narrative example; not a stated underwriting eligibility rule (e.g., minimum funding stage or headcount). |
| Coverage Features | Lockton explains a traditional D&O program in three parts it says it can structure: Side A (direct coverage to individual directors/officers when the company can't indemnify them), Side B (reimbursing the company for indemnifying its D&Os), and Side C (entity coverage, generally limited to securities claims for public companies but broader for private and nonprofit organizations). 1Company-reported. D&O product page as read 2026-09-23. General educational description of program structure, not a specimen policy form. | StartupInsurance.ai says one major carrier added a blanket AI exclusion to D&O (along with E&O and fiduciary forms), typically arriving at renewal inside an endorsement, and that it reviews policies for this exclusion as part of its free check. 2Company-reported. Homepage "wording that still says yes" section; names the exclusion trend industrywide but not the carrier, and does not state whether any StartupInsurance.ai-placed D&O policy carries this specific endorsement. |
| Role in This Line | Lockton designs and places D&O programs rather than underwriting them, saying effective coverage requires market intelligence, coverage-design precision and staying ahead of emerging risks like AI-related litigation and event-driven claims. 1Company-reported. D&O product page as read 2026-09-23. | StartupInsurance.ai lists directors and officers coverage among the lines its startup program places, and its homepage cites an investor's term-sheet request for D&O as a typical reason a founder comes to it. ContractorNerd Insurance Services, LLC arranges the placement as agent/broker of record rather than underwriting it. 2,4Company-reported. Homepage coverage list and "the problem" narrative, plus ContractorNerd's terms and conditions on its producer role; does not describe a specific D&O policy's terms. |
