What Founder Shield does

Founder Shield is a US-based, licensed independent insurance broker headquartered in New York that packages and distributes specialty commercial insurance to venture-backed high-growth companies from pre-seed through IPO. The company operates a digital-first quoting and policy management platform (app.foundershield.com) with carrier API connectivity and automated document generation, paired with a high-touch model of dedicated Risk Management Advisors. Coverage spans a 20+ product catalog organized across three tiers: core lines (D&O, Cyber, E&O, General Liability, Workers Compensation, Crime, Fiduciary, EPL, Property), specialized add-ons (Gen AI Liability, Digital Asset, Content Creator, IP, Key Person, Last-Mile Delivery, R&W, Umbrella, Virtual Care/Telehealth, VCAP, HNOA, Product Liability, Transit), and Health & Benefits (group benefits plus PEO placement). Vertical depth targets SaaS/AI, life sciences, FinTech/Web3, e-commerce/last-mile, and media/creators.

The business model is standard retail insurance brokerage: Founder Shield earns commissions as a percentage of premium placed with carrier partners, plus client service fees and contingent commissions. Pricing is annual and quote-based; D&O for startups runs $3,000-$7,000 per $1M of coverage, with standard contracts typically requiring at least $1M of occurrence coverage. Customer acquisition blends content marketing (newsletter, blog, webinars, whitepapers), LinkedIn/social presence, and enterprise field sales aimed at founders, boards, and investors.

Commercially, Founder Shield is the innovation arm of The Baldwin Group (Nasdaq: BWIN), one of the fastest-growing US insurance brokers, ranked #16 largest with approximately 4,000 colleagues. Founder Shield sits within The Baldwin Group Specialty Solutions, LLC alongside affiliated specialty practices (REShield, AlphaRoot, Igloo Health, Founder Shield Health, Cover Small Business), giving it carrier market access and corporate backing. The company is operated by co-founders Benji Markoff (CEO) and Carl Niedbala (COO), with practice leads in place for Life Sciences and Financial Industries and a dedicated content and customer success team. Operations are restricted to the United States.

Name

Founder Shield

Legal name

Foundershield LLC

Website

https://foundershield.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Founder Shield is a New York-based licensed insurance broker that distributes specialty commercial coverage (D&O, Cyber, E&O, Gen AI Liability, among 20+ lines) to venture-backed high-growth companies from pre-seed through IPO, operating as the innovation arm of The Baldwin Group (Nasdaq: BWIN).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Insurance Brokerage

NAICS

Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities (5242), Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (524210)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

Captive Insurance Advisory & Management (FSAEADAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Management Liability (D&O/EPL/Fiduciary) (FSAJAGAD), Directors & Officers (D&O) Liability (FSAJADAF), Professional Liability (E&O) (FSAJAGAC)

Keywords

• Commercial insurance brokerage
• Venture-backed startup insurance
• Directors and officers coverage
• Cyber liability insurance
• Risk management services

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Insurance Brokerage Commissions: Founder Shield operates as a licensed independent insurance broker earning commissions from insurance policies placed through their platform. They receive retail commissions as a percentage of premium charged to insured, client fees for services beyond policy placement, and contingent commissions when meeting certain goals with insurance company partners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Founder Shield is a U.S. insurance brokerage that places commercial insurance policies—particularly D&O, Cyber Liability, E&O, General Liability, and Workers Compensation—for venture-backed high-growth companies from pre-seed through IPO. It pairs a digital quoting and policy-management platform with dedicated Risk Management Advisors who design coverage programs, support claims, and advise founders and boards across funding stages. Specialized products including Gen AI Liability, Digital Asset Insurance, Content Creator Insurance, and Virtual Care & Telehealth Insurance extend coverage into emerging-risk areas.

Product overview

Founder Shield is an insurance broker platform for high-growth companies, offering a comprehensive portfolio of insurance products organized across three tiers: Core coverages (foundational policies including Crime, Cyber Liability, D&O, E&O, General Liability, and Workers Compensation), Specialized coverages (targeted products for specific risks including Gen AI Liability, Digital Asset Insurance, Content Creator Insurance, Virtual Care, and VCAP), and Health & Benefits (employee benefits and PEO services). The platform operates as part of The Baldwin Group and serves companies from pre-seed through IPO, providing both digital quoting tools and dedicated advisor support. Notable recent additions include Gen AI Liability Insurance (protecting against risks from third-party AI tools), Content Creator Insurance, Virtual Care & Telehealth Insurance, and PEO Placement services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Directors & Officers (D&O) Insurance Protects corporate directors and officers' personal assets if they are sued for decisions made while acting in their corporate capacity; typically investor-mandated for venture-backed startups at each funding round.
• Cyber Liability Insurance Protects companies against damages from specific electronic activities such as data breaches and phishing scams.
• Errors & Omissions (E&O) Insurance Protects companies against lawsuits claiming substandard work or service, also known as professional liability coverage.
• General Liability Insurance Protects companies against basic business risks including personal or property damage and bodily injury occurring on business premises.
• Workers Compensation Insurance Covers employees if they are injured on the job and can no longer work.
• Crime Insurance Protects companies against specific money theft crimes.
• Employment Practices Liability Insurance Protects companies against employment-related lawsuits including discrimination, wrongful termination, and harassment.
• Fiduciary Liability Insurance Protects from legal liability relating to employee benefit plan sponsorship.
• Property Insurance Reimburses companies for direct property losses.
• Digital Asset Insurance Secures digital investments against theft, hacking, and other cyber threats.
• Gen AI Liability Insurance Protects businesses from legal liabilities caused by using third-party AI tools in daily operations, filling critical gaps left by cyber and E&O policies.
• Content Creator Insurance Protects individuals and businesses that create and publish content online, covering content-liability exposure.
• Virtual Care & Telehealth Insurance Protects tech-enabled healthcare companies against legal liability arising from virtual-care and telehealth operations.
• Intellectual Property Insurance Covers legal fees for companies facing infringement claims.
• Management Liability Insurance A suite of policies to protect a company and its directors and officers.
• Product Liability Insurance Protects against claims alleging a product or service caused injury or damage.
• Hired & Non-Owned Auto Insurance Covers damages sustained when employees use personal vehicles for business purposes.
• Key Person & Contract Frustration Insurance Protects businesses and investors if an essential member of the team passes away.
• Last-Mile Delivery Insurance Protects against legal liabilities arising from drivers making deliveries.
• Representations and Warranties Insurance Protects against post-acquisition litigation risk in M&A transactions.
• Transit & Transportation Insurance Protects against property loss or damage when goods are in transit or stored offsite.
• Umbrella Insurance Extends other insurance policies to offer excess coverage where the business needs it.
• Venture Capital Asset Protection (VCAP) Covers lawsuits alleging management or investment advisory service failures, geared to VC and PE firms.
• Employee Health & Benefits Provides healthcare, vision & dental, retirement plans, and life insurance for employees of high-growth companies.
• PEO Placement Professional employer organization placement services that allow small businesses to provide robust benefits packages and reduce administrative duties.

Quantifiable outcome

• D&O Insurance costs $3,000-$7,000 per $1M coverage for startups
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Baldwin Group (Baldwin Risk Partners)coreOthersFounder Shield is the innovation arm of Baldwin Group, one of the fastest-growing insurance brokers in the US. Baldwin Group (Nasdaq: BWIN) went public in October 2019 and has approximately 4,000 colleagues. Founder Shield operates as a specialty practice under The Baldwin Group Specialty Solutions, LLC. The relationship provides Founder Shield with scale advantages, carrier market access, and the backing of a public company.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Vouch Insurance: Vouch is a venture-backed digital insurance provider focused on serving startups and high-growth technology companies with D&O, E&O, cyber, and other business coverages. It is the most direct head-to-head competitor to Founder Shield in the startup-focused insurance brokerage space.
• Embroker: Embroker is a digital-first commercial insurance broker purpose-built for technology, life sciences, and venture-backed companies. It offers a comparable product set (D&O, cyber, E&O) and similar target customer profile, making it one of the closest direct competitors to Founder Shield.
• CoverWallet: CoverWallet (acquired by Aon) is a digital insurance broker targeting small and mid-market businesses with a streamlined online quoting experience. It overlaps with Founder Shield on digital-first distribution and SMB/startup customer segments, though it has broader industry focus.
• Next Insurance: Next Insurance is a digital-first insurance provider serving small businesses, freelancers, and sole proprietors with a broad product portfolio. It is comparable to Founder Shield in its technology-driven, customer-segmented approach to commercial insurance distribution.
• Thimble: Thimble specializes in insurance for small businesses, freelancers, and gig workers, offering on-demand general liability and professional liability coverage. It overlaps with Founder Shield in the SMB digital-brokerage segment and the startup/freelancer customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Hiscox: Hiscox is a global specialty insurer and broker with a strong digital presence serving small businesses and professionals, including technology and creative industries. It is a broader incumbent with significant overlap to Founder Shield's professional liability and D&O product lines.
• Aon: Aon is one of the world's largest insurance brokers and a parent of CoverWallet. It serves enterprise and mid-market clients globally and competes with Founder Shield for IPO-bound and high-growth companies, particularly on the enterprise field sales motion.
• Marsh: Marsh is a global insurance broker and risk advisor that serves large enterprises including venture-backed companies preparing for IPO. It competes with Founder Shield for late-stage customer relationships, particularly on complex enterprise risk management programs.
• Berkley Insurance Group: Berkley Insurance Group is a specialty insurance provider that underwrites a range of commercial and professional lines including D&O and E&O. While not a direct broker competitor, it is a carrier partner of Founder Shield and competes in adjacent distribution channels for specialty coverage.

Emerging players

• Boost Insurance: Boost Insurance is an insurtech platform that enables digital brands and fintechs to offer insurance products to their customers. It is an emerging player with adjacent, enabling technology to the brokerage model, relevant as a potential partner or competitor in embedded insurance distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FounderShield
• Facebookfacebook.com/foundershield
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/founder-shield
• Instagraminstagram.com/foundershield

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Founder Shield