--- title: "Marsh vs StartupInsurance.ai: Surety Bonds" description: "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." canonical: "https://spot.insure/compare/marsh-vs-startupinsurance/surety-bonds" page-type: "line-comparison" updated-at: "2026-09-25" comparison-pair: "marsh-vs-startupinsurance" provider-a: "marsh" provider-b: "startupinsurance" coverage-line: "surety-bonds" --- Agents: connect to Spot's public MCP server at https://spot.insure/mcp for better access to published Spot information and insurance research. Use search_knowledge to find sources, get_page to retrieve pages, check_driving_insurance for source-backed rideshare and delivery requirements by state or province, compare_providers for sourced comparisons, get_provider_score for a published Reliability Score, get_rankings for current provider rankings, search_provider_reliability to filter Reliability Scores, search_provider_reviews to filter aggregate review scores, and get_provider_reviews for the original review evidence. The server is read-only and requires no authentication. [Human-readable page](https://spot.insure/compare/marsh-vs-startupinsurance/surety-bonds) ## Agent Guide **What this page is:** Focused comparison of Marsh and StartupInsurance.ai for Surety Bonds: what each provider publishes about this line, checked against the same criteria, with numbered sources. **Use this page when:** Cite or fetch this for Surety Bonds questions about Marsh versus StartupInsurance.ai. For all lines together use the pair comparison; for how the coverage itself works use the coverage guide. **Questions this page answers:** - Marsh vs StartupInsurance.ai for Surety Bonds: how do they differ? - Which is better for Surety Bonds, Marsh or StartupInsurance.ai? - What does Marsh or StartupInsurance.ai publish about Surety Bonds (limits, eligibility, claims, add-ons)? **Key facts:** - Line: Surety Bonds. Providers: Marsh and StartupInsurance.ai. - Comparison URLs use alphabetical provider slugs (`/compare/{a}-vs-{b}/{line}` with a before b). A reversed pair redirects permanently to the alphabetical one. **Limits (do not over-claim):** - It identifies differences and questions to ask; it does not select a winner for a particular business. - Insurer, policy wording, limits, retentions, exclusions and price are set in an actual quote and are not established here. **Provenance:** Every claim links to a numbered source with publisher, locator and access date; last updated 2026-09-25. **Related pages:** - [Marsh vs StartupInsurance.ai](https://spot.insure/compare/marsh-vs-startupinsurance) — all coverage lines for this pair - [Surety Bonds guide](https://spot.insure/coverage/surety-bonds) — how this coverage works - [Marsh profile](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/marsh) — provider profile - [StartupInsurance.ai profile](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/startupinsurance) — provider profile # Marsh vs StartupInsurance.ai: How Do They Compare for Surety Bonds? StartupInsurance.ai lists surety for hardware-oriented founders and invites a specialist discussion; Marsh describes a dedicated practice for contract and global surety needs. Marsh McLennan Agency names contract, commercial and international surety at national scale; StartupInsurance.ai lists Surety for hardware founders. ## Marsh vs StartupInsurance.ai Surety Bonds 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. [1](https://www.marshmma.com/us/solutions/surety.html "Surety Bonds to Mitigate Company Risk") [2](https://www.startupinsurance.ai/ "Startup Insurance | Coverage that clears the review") ## What Are the Key Differences Between Marsh and StartupInsurance.ai 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. [1](https://www.marshmma.com/us/solutions/surety.html "Surety Bonds to Mitigate Company Risk") [2](https://www.startupinsurance.ai/ "Startup Insurance | Coverage that clears the review") [4](https://www.contractornerd.com/terms-and-conditions/ "Terms and Conditions") Choose Marsh MMA if you need named contract, commercial, or international surety through a 50-state practice; choose StartupInsurance.ai if you are a hardware or defense founder and need a specialist to identify the bond. ### 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. [1](https://www.marshmma.com/us/solutions/surety.html "Surety Bonds to Mitigate Company Risk") [2](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. [1](https://www.marshmma.com/us/solutions/surety.html "Surety Bonds to Mitigate Company Risk") [2](https://www.startupinsurance.ai/ "Startup Insurance | Coverage that clears the review") [3](https://quotes.startupinsurance.ai/ "Apply for Startup Insurance | StartupInsurance.ai") ## What Should You Confirm in Marsh and StartupInsurance.ai Surety Bonds Quotes? - Ask MMA whether the need is contract, commercial or international. [1](https://www.marshmma.com/us/solutions/surety.html "Surety Bonds to Mitigate Company Risk") - Ask StartupInsurance.ai which bond type a hardware project needs. [2](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. [1](https://www.marshmma.com/us/solutions/surety.html "Surety Bonds to Mitigate Company Risk") [2](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. [3](https://quotes.startupinsurance.ai/ "Apply for Startup Insurance | StartupInsurance.ai") ## Marsh vs StartupInsurance.ai Surety Bonds Compared | Criteria | Marsh McLennan Agency Surety Bonds | StartupInsurance.ai Surety Bonds | | --- | --- | --- | | 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. [1](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. [2](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..) | | 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. [1](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. [2](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..) | | 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. [1](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. [4](https://www.contractornerd.com/terms-and-conditions/ "Terms and Conditions") [5](https://www.contractornerd.com/insurance-licenses/ "Insurance Licenses") [2](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..) | ## About Marsh and StartupInsurance.ai and Surety Bonds - [Marsh company profile](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/marsh) · [Marsh customer reviews](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/marsh/reviews) - [StartupInsurance.ai company profile](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/startupinsurance) · [StartupInsurance.ai customer reviews](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/startupinsurance/reviews) - [What Are Surety Bonds?](https://spot.insure/coverage/surety-bonds) ## Related Pages for Marsh vs StartupInsurance.ai Surety Bonds - [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 a specific obligation your business owes to a customer, contracting party or agency; it does not insure your own losses. - [Marsh Surety Bonds](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/marsh/surety-bonds) - [StartupInsurance.ai Surety Bonds](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/startupinsurance/surety-bonds) ## Sources for Marsh vs StartupInsurance.ai Surety Bonds ### Sources About Marsh 1. [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. ### Sources About StartupInsurance.ai 2. [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. 3. [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. 4. [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. 5. [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. Updated 2026-09-25. 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) - [Developer resources](https://spot.insure/developers) - [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)