Buckle

What Buckle does

Buckle Corp. LLC, founded in 2017 and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, operates a B2B digital insurance fronting platform that connects small to mid-market Managing General Agents (MGAs) to reinsurance markets. Through its wholly owned insurance carrier, Gateway Insurance Company — acquired in January 2020 alongside subsequent acquisitions of American Country Insurance Company and American Service Insurance Company — Buckle issues policies on behalf of partner MGAs and cedes risk to a panel of reinsurance partners. The platform is licensed in 43+ U.S. states including the District of Columbia, covering major markets such as California, Texas, New York, and Florida, and serves auto, specialty, and commercial insurance lines.

The company's technology stack is branded around two registered trademarks — "crowd-sourced underwriting" and "cloud-based underwriting" — which describe its proprietary approach to aggregating underwriting decisions within a cloud-hosted platform rather than any disclosed machine-learning capability. Revenue is generated on a recurring, contract-based fronting fee model: MGAs pay for carrier capacity, reinsurance market access, and ongoing operational support under multi-year agreements, with pricing provided on a quote basis through a dedicated partnerships channel. The company's GTM motion is sales-led and direct, targeting MGA partners through outreach via [email protected] and contact forms, and emphasizing lower-cost fronting versus traditional carriers as its core differentiator.

Buckle previously operated a direct-to-consumer Gig Auto Insurance product for rideshare and delivery drivers, but this offering has been discontinued; the company has since concentrated on its B2B MGA fronting core. As of the available data, Buckle has raised approximately $115 million in cumulative capital across equity and debt rounds from 2020 through 2022, with structured-capital investors including Hudson Structured Capital Management, HSCM Bermuda, and Volery Capital Partners. The company is led by CEO Dustin Walsey and operates with a team of 11-50 employees.

Name

Buckle

Legal name

Buckle Corp. LLC

Website

https://buckleup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Buckle Corp. LLC is a digital insurance fronting platform that connects small to mid-market Managing General Agents (MGAs) to reinsurance markets through its wholly owned carrier Gateway Insurance, operating across 43+ U.S. states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Insurance Fronting Services: Buckle provides fronting services to MGAs, connecting them to reinsurance markets. They charge fees for fronting arrangements where they provide the insurance carrier capacity while MGAs handle underwriting and distribution.
2. Gig Insurance Products: Buckle previously offered gig auto insurance for rideshare and delivery drivers. The company raised capital to support growth of its gig insurance products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Buckle operates as a low-cost insurance fronting platform that connects Managing General Agents (MGAs) to reinsurance markets. Through its wholly owned insurance carrier Gateway, Buckle provides carrier capacity, competitive terms, professional guidance, and access to auto, commercial, and specialty insurance markets across 43+ U.S. states. The company enables small to mid-size MGAs to grow without owning their own insurance carrier by offering efficient onboarding and lower-cost fronting arrangements.

Product overview

Buckle provides low-cost insurance fronting solutions, operating as a platform that connects Managing General Agents (MGAs) to reinsurance markets. The core offering is the Fronting Services platform, which includes Gateway Insurance as the wholly owned fronting carrier. MGA Insurance Programs are offered through this platform, providing competitive terms and access to auto, commercial, and specialty markets across 43+ states. Previously, Buckle offered Gig Auto Insurance for rideshare and delivery drivers, but this product has been discontinued.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fronting Services Insurance fronting platform that connects Managing General Agents (MGAs) to reinsurance markets, providing competitive terms, professional guidance, and access to auto, commercial, and specialty insurance markets in 43+ states including CA, TX, NY, and FL.
• MGA Insurance Programs Insurance programs offered through Buckle's fronting platform, providing MGAs with competitive terms, reinsurance access, and professional guidance to grow in their selected markets.
• Gig Auto Insurance Auto insurance product designed for rideshare and delivery drivers in the gig economy. NOTE: This product is no longer available.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability1 record

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Reinsurance PanelscoreOthersBuckle has established relationships with top reinsurance panels to provide capacity for fronting arrangements. These partnerships are fundamental to their business model of connecting MGAs to reinsurance markets.
• Gateway InsurancecoreTechnology or IntegrationGateway Insurance is Buckle's wholly owned insurance carrier that serves as the fronting entity, enabling the company to provide competitive terms and professional guidance to MGAs.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Accelerant: InsurTech MGA enablement platform that connects specialty MGAs with risk capital and provides analytics and back-office infrastructure. Closely comparable to Buckle in serving small to mid-size MGAs as a capital and capacity partner, with overlapping target customer and intermediary role.

Broad incumbents

• RPS (Risk Placement Services): Large wholesale insurance broker and MGA platform providing binding authority, program business, and carrier access across specialty and commercial lines. Comparable to Buckle as a distribution and capacity partner to MGAs, though at far greater scale and without a wholly owned carrier positioning.
• Burns & Wilcox: Established wholesale insurance broker and MGA operator with deep specialty and surplus lines expertise and carrier relationships. Comparable to Buckle in serving MGAs and program managers seeking carrier capacity, with a much broader legacy product set.
• Amwins: Largest US specialty wholesale broker with significant MGA, binding authority, and program business operations. Comparable to Buckle as a specialty distribution and capacity provider, though operating at a far larger scale and with more diversified revenue lines.
• CRC Insurance Group: National wholesale insurance broker with MGA and program business operations across specialty, commercial, and personal lines. Comparable to Buckle in providing capacity and infrastructure to MGA partners, with deeper legacy relationships and broader geographic reach.
• Brown & Riding: National wholesale insurance brokerage and MGA with specialty expertise in complex and non-standard risks. Comparable to Buckle in facilitating carrier access for niche MGAs, with a more established incumbent position and broader service portfolio.
• Coverys: Specialty insurance carrier focused on medical professional liability and healthcare risks, with fronting and program administration capabilities. Comparable to Buckle as a regulated insurance carrier providing capacity to program partners, though concentrated in healthcare.
• Skyward Specialty Insurance Group: Specialty property and casualty insurance carrier with MGA partnership model and program business across multiple lines. Comparable to Buckle in deploying carrier capacity through MGA partners, with a broader specialty product set and more mature distribution.
• James River Group: Specialty insurance carrier with excess and surplus lines, commercial auto, and program business through MGA partnerships. Comparable to Buckle in underwriting through delegated authority arrangements with MGAs, with deeper reserves and a more diversified book.
• Kinsale Capital Group: Excess and surplus lines specialty insurance carrier known for disciplined underwriting and a strong broker/MGA distribution model. Comparable to Buckle as a specialty carrier serving niche risks through delegated authority partners, with a much stronger financial profile.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/getbuckle

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors7 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A3 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Buckle