---
title: "Marsh vs StartupInsurance.ai Surety Bonds"
description: "Marsh McLennan Agency names contract, commercial and international surety at national scale; StartupInsurance.ai lists Surety for hardware founders."
canonical: "https://spot.insure/compare/marsh-vs-startupinsurance/surety-bonds"
page-type: "line-comparison"
updated-at: "2026-09-23"
---

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# Marsh vs StartupInsurance.ai Surety Bonds

Marsh McLennan Agency names contract, commercial and international surety at national scale; StartupInsurance.ai lists Surety for hardware founders.

## Research Scope and Use

Use this comparison to evaluate Marsh and StartupInsurance.ai for Surety Bonds 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

Marsh McLennan Agency arranges contract, commercial and international surety through more than 150 specialists. StartupInsurance.ai lists Surety among physical-risk lines for hardware and defense founders and keeps it off the self-serve quote form. [5](https://www.marshmma.com/us/solutions/surety.html "Surety Bonds to Mitigate Company Risk") [8](https://www.startupinsurance.ai/ "Startup Insurance | Coverage that clears the review")

## 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. [1](https://www.marsh.com/en/home.html "Marsh | Leader in risk, strategy, people, and investments") [2](https://www.marsh.com/content/dam/marsh/Documents/PDF/US-en/us-client-compensation-guide.pdf "Compensation guide for US clients") [3](https://www.marsh.com/en/services/marsh-mclennan-agency.html "Marsh McLennan Agency (MMA)") [4](https://www.marsh.com/en/industries/technology.html "Technology | Insurance Broking & Risk Management")

[Marsh profile](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/marsh)

## What Is StartupInsurance.ai?

StartupInsurance.ai is a marketing brand of ContractorNerd Insurance Services, LLC, offering startup insurance placement and policy reviews. Buyers can begin with an online coverage selection or a review of existing policies and contract requirements. [6](https://www.startupinsurance.ai/company/ "Company | Startup Insurance") [7](https://quotes.startupinsurance.ai/ "Apply for Startup Insurance | StartupInsurance.ai")

[StartupInsurance.ai profile](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/startupinsurance)

## What Are Surety Bonds?

A surety bond is a three-party agreement: a surety guarantees an obligation your business (the principal) owes to a customer or other party (the obligee) if your business defaults. It isn't insurance that pays your business for its own losses. [11](https://content.naic.org/glossary-insurance-terms "Glossary of Insurance Terms") [12](https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/surety-bonds "Surety bonds")

## Key Differences in Surety Bonds

### Named National Coverage Versus an Unspecified Catalogue Line

Marsh McLennan Agency lists contract surety, commercial surety for nationwide license and permit bonds, and international surety. StartupInsurance.ai lists “Surety” among seven physical-risk lines without naming those buckets. ContractorNerd arranges placement and does not underwrite. [5](https://www.marshmma.com/us/solutions/surety.html "Surety Bonds to Mitigate Company Risk") [8](https://www.startupinsurance.ai/ "Startup Insurance | Coverage that clears the review") [9](https://www.contractornerd.com/terms-and-conditions/ "Terms and Conditions")

### 50-State Practice Versus Hardware-Founder Framing

MMA reports more than 150 surety professionals across all 50 states and company-reported premium and client counts. StartupInsurance.ai frames surety as a daily line for founders building robots, hardware, energy or defense tech. [5](https://www.marshmma.com/us/solutions/surety.html "Surety Bonds to Mitigate Company Risk") [8](https://www.startupinsurance.ai/ "Startup Insurance | Coverage that clears the review")

### Advisor With a Named Supervisor Versus an Off-Form Ask

MMA describes advisor-led placement and names a Surety Department Supervisor. StartupInsurance.ai's physical-risk section asks you to inquire about requirements, and Surety is not a checkbox on the public quote application. Neither set of pages names the surety for a given bond. [5](https://www.marshmma.com/us/solutions/surety.html "Surety Bonds to Mitigate Company Risk") [8](https://www.startupinsurance.ai/ "Startup Insurance | Coverage that clears the review") [7](https://quotes.startupinsurance.ai/ "Apply for Startup Insurance | StartupInsurance.ai")

## What to Confirm in Surety Bonds Quotes

- Ask MMA whether the need is contract, commercial or international. [5](https://www.marshmma.com/us/solutions/surety.html "Surety Bonds to Mitigate Company Risk")
- Ask StartupInsurance.ai which bond type a hardware project needs. [8](https://www.startupinsurance.ai/ "Startup Insurance | Coverage that clears the review")
- Get the issuing surety from both; StartupInsurance.ai's carrier panel is not split by line. [5](https://www.marshmma.com/us/solutions/surety.html "Surety Bonds to Mitigate Company Risk") [8](https://www.startupinsurance.ai/ "Startup Insurance | Coverage that clears the review")
- Confirm how surety is added if you already started StartupInsurance.ai's self-serve intake. [7](https://quotes.startupinsurance.ai/ "Apply for Startup Insurance | StartupInsurance.ai")

## Offering Details

| Criteria | Marsh McLennan Agency Surety Bonds | StartupInsurance.ai Surety Bonds |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Role in This Line | Marsh McLennan Agency (MMA), Marsh's middle-market subsidiary, arranges surety bonds through a dedicated surety practice rather than underwriting them itself. [5](https://www.marshmma.com/us/solutions/surety.html "Surety Bonds to Mitigate Company Risk") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: MMA surety insurance page..) | StartupInsurance.ai does not underwrite or issue surety bonds itself. ContractorNerd Insurance Services, LLC, the licensed property and casualty agency behind the brand, is licensed in all 50 states and arranges placement; its terms describe the company as an insurance agency/producer that does not underwrite insurance. Surety bonds are typically issued by a surety company rather than an insurer in the conventional sense, and the reviewed pages do not distinguish the two. [9](https://www.contractornerd.com/terms-and-conditions/ "Terms and Conditions") [10](https://www.contractornerd.com/insurance-licenses/ "Insurance Licenses") [8](https://www.startupinsurance.ai/ "Startup Insurance | Coverage that clears the review") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: ContractorNerd's terms and conditions and insurance-licenses page; describes the brokerage's general role, not surety-specific placement terms or which entity type ultimately issues a bond..) |
| Issuing Insurer | The reviewed page does not name a specific surety insurer for a standard bond; MMA says it offers national market representation, implying the issuing surety varies by placement. [5](https://www.marshmma.com/us/solutions/surety.html "Surety Bonds to Mitigate Company Risk") (Evidence: Not publicly disclosed; scope: MMA surety insurance page as read on 2026-09-23..) | The homepage's carrier panel names six insurers at the program level (The Hartford, Chubb, Coalition, Tokio Marine HCC, Travelers and CNA) but does not state which one, if any, issues a given company's surety bond. [8](https://www.startupinsurance.ai/ "Startup Insurance | Coverage that clears the review") (Evidence: Not publicly disclosed; scope: Carrier panel is program-wide rather than broken out by line; the surety company behind a bond is not disclosed on the pages reviewed and varies by placement..) |
| Who It’s For | Not described in the reviewed sources. | The section frames these seven lines around founders "building robots, hardware, energy or defense tech," saying StartupInsurance.ai treats them as "our daily lines, not our exceptions" — positioning surety bonds as something it arranges regularly for hardware-adjacent startups, rather than as a rare add-on. [8](https://www.startupinsurance.ai/ "Startup Insurance | Coverage that clears the review") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Same homepage section; describes the target customer segment StartupInsurance.ai says it serves for this catalogue of lines, not formal underwriting eligibility criteria..) |
| Coverage Features | MMA offers Contract Surety for construction and similar projects, Commercial Surety issuing license and permit bonds nationwide (in lieu of or alongside letters of credit and other banking obligations), and International Surety for global operations facing varied regulatory requirements. [5](https://www.marshmma.com/us/solutions/surety.html "Surety Bonds to Mitigate Company Risk") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: MMA surety insurance page, Surety Coverage section..) | StartupInsurance.ai lists "Surety" among seven lines in the homepage's "Physical risk, because AI outgrew software" section — Products Liability, Inland Marine, Tools and Equipment, Commercial Auto, Builders Risk, Surety and Property — offered alongside the core startup program of GL, cyber, D&O and related lines. The page uses the word "Surety" rather than "surety bonds," and does not name a bond type. [8](https://www.startupinsurance.ai/ "Startup Insurance | Coverage that clears the review") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Homepage "Physical risk, because AI outgrew software" section as read on 2026-09-23; the reviewed page names the line but does not describe bond types (e.g. license, permit, performance), bond amounts, or underwriting terms..) |
| Limits and Retentions | MMA says it has more than 150 surety professionals across all 50 states, placed $353 million in surety premium for nearly 10,000 clients, and that its markets write 95% of all contract bonds in the U.S., according to the company. [5](https://www.marshmma.com/us/solutions/surety.html "Surety Bonds to Mitigate Company Risk") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: MMA surety insurance page; company-reported statistics, not independently verified, and do not indicate bond size or capacity for an individual client..) | The reviewed pages do not publish sample bond amounts, bond types, or premium rates for surety bonds. [8](https://www.startupinsurance.ai/ "Startup Insurance | Coverage that clears the review") [7](https://quotes.startupinsurance.ai/ "Apply for Startup Insurance | StartupInsurance.ai") (Evidence: Not found in reviewed sources; scope: Homepage and quote-intake screen as read on 2026-09-23; bond amounts would only surface on an actual application..) |
| Risk Services | MMA lists competitive indemnity package negotiation, industry benchmarking, joint-venture and teaming-agreement prequalification support, continuity and ownership-transfer consulting, and competitive program design review as services tied to its surety practice. [5](https://www.marshmma.com/us/solutions/surety.html "Surety Bonds to Mitigate Company Risk") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: MMA surety insurance page, Benefits of Surety and Surety Coverage sections..) | Not described in the reviewed sources. |
| How to Apply | You work with an MMA surety specialist directly; the page names a Surety Department Supervisor and describes advisor-led placement rather than an online bond application. [5](https://www.marshmma.com/us/solutions/surety.html "Surety Bonds to Mitigate Company Risk") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: MMA surety insurance page..) | The physical-risk section's call to action reads "Ask about your insurance requirements →" rather than the "Get Quotes" button used elsewhere on the homepage, indicating surety bonds are discussed with a specialist rather than quoted through a self-serve form. [8](https://www.startupinsurance.ai/ "Startup Insurance | Coverage that clears the review") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Homepage "Physical risk, because AI outgrew software" section as read on 2026-09-23; the page does not describe what that conversation covers..)<br><br>The public quote-application's coverage-selection screen offers seven checkboxes (D&O, Cyber, Tech E&O, EPL, Fiduciary, Crime and GL); Surety is not one of them, so it is not part of that self-serve intake flow. [7](https://quotes.startupinsurance.ai/ "Apply for Startup Insurance | StartupInsurance.ai") (Evidence: Not found in reviewed sources; scope: Initial coverage-selection screen of the quote application as read on 2026-09-23; a later screen or specialist conversation could still address this line..) |

## Full Comparison

- [Marsh vs StartupInsurance.ai](https://spot.insure/compare/marsh-vs-startupinsurance): all coverage lines, business roles, service and claims.
- [What Are Surety Bonds?](https://spot.insure/coverage/surety-bonds): A surety bond guarantees an obligation your business owes to a customer or other party if your business defaults.
- [Marsh vs StartupInsurance.ai Builders Risk Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/marsh-vs-startupinsurance/builders-risk)
- [Marsh vs StartupInsurance.ai Commercial Property Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/marsh-vs-startupinsurance/commercial-property)
- [Marsh vs StartupInsurance.ai D&O Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/marsh-vs-startupinsurance/directors-officers)
- [Marsh vs StartupInsurance.ai Fiduciary Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/marsh-vs-startupinsurance/fiduciary)
- [Marsh vs StartupInsurance.ai Tech E&O Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/marsh-vs-startupinsurance/technology-errors-omissions)
- [Chubb vs Marsh Surety Bonds](https://spot.insure/compare/chubb-vs-marsh/surety-bonds)
- [Chubb vs StartupInsurance.ai Surety Bonds](https://spot.insure/compare/chubb-vs-startupinsurance/surety-bonds)
- [Coverdash vs Marsh Surety Bonds](https://spot.insure/compare/coverdash-vs-marsh/surety-bonds)
- [Coverdash vs StartupInsurance.ai Surety Bonds](https://spot.insure/compare/coverdash-vs-startupinsurance/surety-bonds)
- [Embroker vs Marsh Surety Bonds](https://spot.insure/compare/embroker-vs-marsh/surety-bonds)
- [Embroker vs StartupInsurance.ai Surety Bonds](https://spot.insure/compare/embroker-vs-startupinsurance/surety-bonds)

## Sources

### Marsh

1. [Marsh | Leader in risk, strategy, people, and investments](https://www.marsh.com/en/home.html). 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.
2. [Compensation guide for US clients](https://www.marsh.com/content/dam/marsh/Documents/PDF/US-en/us-client-compensation-guide.pdf). 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.
3. [Marsh McLennan Agency (MMA)](https://www.marsh.com/en/services/marsh-mclennan-agency.html). Marsh; Middle-market US organizations; wholly-owned subsidiary; business insurance, employee health and benefits, retirement, private client. Accessed 2026-09-16.
4. [Technology | Insurance Broking & Risk Management](https://www.marsh.com/en/industries/technology.html). Marsh; Opening Technology Practice description; practice links including data center insurance, fintech and Stratus; Talk to us. Accessed 2026-09-16.
5. [Surety Bonds to Mitigate Company Risk](https://www.marshmma.com/us/solutions/surety.html). Marsh McLennan Agency; Opening positioning and stats (150+ surety professionals across all 50 states; $353 million in surety premium for nearly 10,000 clients; 95% of all contract bonds in the U.S. written in our markets); Surety Coverage: Contract Surety, Commercial Surety, Joint ventures and teaming agreements, International Surety; Benefits of Surety. Accessed 2026-09-23.

### StartupInsurance.ai

6. [Company | Startup Insurance](https://www.startupinsurance.ai/company/). StartupInsurance.ai; The story; founders; The free policy check; legal footer. Accessed 2026-09-16.
7. [Apply for Startup Insurance | StartupInsurance.ai](https://quotes.startupinsurance.ai/). StartupInsurance.ai; Coverage-selection screen: seven checkboxes (D&O, Cyber, Tech E&O, EPL, Fiduciary, Crime, GL). Accessed 2026-09-23.
8. [Startup Insurance | Coverage that clears the review](https://www.startupinsurance.ai/). StartupInsurance.ai; Carrier panel; Physical risk, because AI outgrew software (Products Liability · Inland Marine · Tools and Equipment · Commercial Auto · Builders Risk · Surety · Property; "Building robots, hardware, energy or defense tech?"). Accessed 2026-09-23.
9. [Terms and Conditions](https://www.contractornerd.com/terms-and-conditions/). ContractorNerd; Section 2, Insurance Services: "ContractorNerd is an insurance agency/insurance producer... not an insurance company, does not underwrite insurance"; Section 2.A, Broker/Agent of Record. Accessed 2026-09-23.
10. [Insurance Licenses](https://www.contractornerd.com/insurance-licenses/). ContractorNerd; Company information: "a property and casualty independent insurance agency licensed in all 50 states"; 50-state licensing table for ContractorNerd Insurance Services, LLC. Accessed 2026-09-16.

### Surety Bonds Guide

11. [Glossary of Insurance Terms](https://content.naic.org/glossary-insurance-terms). National Association of Insurance Commissioners; Surety Bond; Fidelity. Accessed 2026-09-16.
12. [Surety bonds](https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/surety-bonds). U.S. Small Business Administration; Opening guarantee of work completion; Contract or commercial bonds; Bid, Payment, Performance, Ancillary; Eligibility > credit, capacity, and character. 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.

## Agent and Developer Resources

- [Markdown page](https://spot.insure/compare/marsh-vs-startupinsurance/surety-bonds.md)
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- [Public MCP server](https://spot.insure/mcp)
- [MCP server manifest](https://spot.insure/server.json)
- [OpenAPI description](https://spot.insure/openapi.json)
- [Public page index](https://spot.insure/llms.txt)