What Is Nationwide?
Nationwide’s commercial catalogue includes common small-business policies and separate specialty products. A catalogue listing does not establish eligibility or policy terms; confirm the issuing company and coverage for your state and business. 1,2,3
What Is Risklytics Insurance?
Risklytics suits robotics, autonomy and AI businesses that want help preparing an application and checking Tech E&O wording for AI exclusions; standard small businesses should compare generalist agencies. California eligibility is not established in its public materials. 5,6,7
What Is Directors and Officers Insurance?
D&O insurance can help pay covered defense costs and losses from claims against company leaders over management decisions. If your organization has a board or executives, check whether the company itself is insured and whether legal bills reduce the limit. 10,11,12
Key Differences in D&O Insurance
Risklytics Ties Coverage Timing to the First Priced Round
Risklytics says D&O is commonly purchased at or before a startup’s first priced round because term sheets and incoming board members typically require it as a closing condition. Nationwide describes D&O for alleged management wrongful acts but gives no funding-stage timing guidance. Founders planning a round should share the actual term-sheet requirement with both providers and confirm when the policy must incept. 4 9
Risklytics Publishes a Typical Limit Request
Risklytics lists $1 million–$3 million as a typical D&O ask for venture-backed companies. Nationwide’s overview does not publish limit or retention amounts. Treat Risklytics’ figure as a market reference rather than a guaranteed offer and request matching per-claim and aggregate limits, Side A protection and retention from each provider. 4 9
Risklytics Provides an Online Application With Producer Support
Risklytics says buyers start through an online application, with a licensed producer staying on the file until binding and no broker fee added on top of premium. Nationwide directs customers to an agent or quote request but does not describe the application workflow or producer compensation. Ask both channels who handles the submission, how the producer is paid and which outside carrier issues the policy. 4 5
What to Confirm in D&O Insurance Quotes
- Ask Risklytics whether your funding stage and board meet its stated appetite and whether $1 million–$3 million is available; ask Nationwide for limits and retention. 9 4
- Confirm retroactive date, Side A/B/C grants, insurer, commission or fee, claims-made continuity and the policy start date required by investors. 5 4
Review Scores
These averages can combine ratings for different products, locations, and customer groups, including approximate BBB grade conversions. Read each review for the sources, scope, and calculation.
Nationwide
Review Score
4 rated sources
Experts like Nationwide more than customers do. NerdWallet gives it 4.5 out of 5 for business insurance, while small-business customers on ConsumerAffairs give it 2.5 out of 5 from 19 reviews.[1][10]
Read Nationwide reviewsRisklytics
Review Score
No reviews found
Risklytics has no public customer reviews or ratings that we found, so there is no Review Score. That isn't a bad sign, just not enough to judge.[10][1][6]
Read Risklytics reviewsOffering Details
Nationwide vs Risklytics: D&O Insurance: documented features by provider
| Criteria | Nationwide directors officers (official overview) | Risklytics Directors & Officers Insurance |
|---|---|---|
| Role in This Line | Nationwide describes offering directors officers for the audience stated on the cited product page. 4Company-reported. directors officers marketed by nationwide; scope is limited to the cited official product overview and described audience. This is not a policy form or a universal eligibility statement. | Risklytics Insurance Services is a licensed insurance producer (NPN 22311838) that places Risklytics Directors & Officers 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. |
| Issuing Insurer | Confirm in your quote. | Risklytics does not name the carrier that underwrites Risklytics Directors & Officers 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. 8,5Company-reported. Lines page and about page; no specific insurer is published for this line. |
| Who It’s For | Businesses and directors/officers described by Nationwide; page does not establish universal limits or terms. 4Company-reported. directors officers marketed by nationwide; scope is limited to the cited official product overview and described audience. This is not a policy form or a universal eligibility statement. | Risklytics says the norm is buying D&O at or before a startup's first priced round, since term sheets and incoming board members typically require it as a closing condition. 8Company-reported. Lines page. |
| Coverage Features | The cited product page describes D&O insurance for claims tied to alleged decisions or wrongful acts by company directors and officers, subject to policy terms. Marketing description only; actual coverage, exclusions, conditions, limits, and availability depend on the issued policy and jurisdiction. 4Company-reported. directors officers marketed by nationwide; scope is limited to the cited official product overview and described audience. This is not a policy form or a universal eligibility statement. | Risklytics describes D&O as protecting a founder's personal assets when an investor or regulator sues over how the company was run, citing an investor suit after a down round and a regulator inquiry into AI capability claims as examples, and distinguishes it from Tech E&O, which answers a customer's product-failure claim instead. 8Company-reported. Lines page; the issued policy and declarations control actual coverage. |
| Limits and Retentions | The cited overview does not set a universal limit or retention for this line. Ask for the proposed policy form, limits, retentions, exclusions, and conditions in the quote. 4Not publicly disclosed. Only the cited marketing page was reviewed for published limit and retention information; no policy-form entitlement is inferred. | Risklytics lists a typical ask of $1 million to $3 million for venture-backed companies for this line. 8Company-reported. Lines page; actual limits are set on the bound policy. |
| Risk Services | Confirm in your quote. | Risklytics calls D&O easy to get for venture-backed companies with a clean story, describing quick placement for that segment. 8Company-reported. Lines page. |
| How to Apply | The page directs prospective customers to contact an agent or request a quote. The page does not establish a quote, bind, or coverage-effective timeline. 4Company-reported. directors officers marketed by nationwide; scope is limited to the cited official product overview and described audience. This is not a policy form or a universal eligibility statement. | You start Risklytics Directors & Officers 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. 9,5Company-reported. Pricing page describes the general application and fee process, not a line-specific form. |
Full Comparison
More Nationwide vs Risklytics Comparisons
Other D&O Insurance Comparisons
Sources
Nationwide
- Small Business Insurance. Nationwide; Small business products and solutions, lines 185–214: BOP, workers’ compensation, commercial auto, umbrella, EPLI, cyber and surety; purchase guidance lines 235–247. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- Small Business Insurance Solutions for Agents. Nationwide; Specialized small commercial solutions: BOP, auto, workers’ compensation, cyber, EPLI, umbrella, inland marine and professional liability; page states appetite varies by state, lines 129–163, 191–193. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- Terms and Conditions for Nationwide.com. Nationwide; P&C products not offered by all companies/states; policy/declarations control; NMI and affiliates may underwrite; each underwriter responsible for own products, lines 358–368 and 391–394. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- Directors and Officers Liability. Nationwide; D&O page; management-liability product and covered exposures. Accessed 2026-09-30.
Risklytics
- About Risklytics: who we are. Risklytics; “What we do”; Licensing: Risklytics Insurance Services, National Producer Number 22311838, resident license Massachusetts. Accessed 2026-09-23.
- Insurance for Frontier Tech. Risklytics; You describe your company; One application. Written for you; footer. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Terms of Service. Risklytics; Effective August 7, 2026; sections 1–5, 7, 9 and 12. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Directors & Officers Insurance. Risklytics; Coverage line: Directors & Officers; Built for moments like these; When to buy; Who requires it; How hard to get; Common questions. Accessed 2026-09-23.
- How pricing and broker fees work. Risklytics; Buying direct / Generic broker / Risklytics comparison table: no broker fee, commission paid by the carrier out of premium. 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.
- The Chubb Primary Directors & Officers and Entity Securities Liability Insurance. Chubb Group of Insurance Companies; hosted by eperils; I.A–C p.1; I.C p.1; I and III.A–B pp.1–2; VI Reporting pp.3–4. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Private Company Directors and Officers Liability Coverage. Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of America; I.A–C p.1; I.C p.1; Header p.1 and VI.A pp.6–7. Accessed 2026-09-16.
