InsCipher
InsCipher is a bootstrapped Utah-based insurtech providing automated surplus lines tax calculation, filing, and compliance software, APIs, and managed services to 300+ US brokers, MGAs, agencies, and carriers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersPleasant Grove, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What InsCipher does
InsCipher is a US-based insurtech company founded in 2015 and headquartered in Pleasant Grove, Utah, specializing in surplus lines tax compliance for the excess and surplus (E&S) lines insurance market. The company operates a cloud-based platform that automates tax calculation, filing, reconciliation, and payment across all 50 US states, including jurisdiction-specific complexities such as Kentucky municipality taxes and Fire Marshall taxes. Its product portfolio spans three tiers: a Fully Managed Filing Service delivered by a 100% USA-based team; InsCipher Connect, a self-service SaaS platform claimed to deliver 300% filing velocity improvement; and a suite of REST APIs (Tax Calculator API, Tax Calculator Widget, Diligent Forms API/Tax Docs API) that embed live tax rates, stamp wording, and document automation into insurance carriers', MGAs', brokers', and agencies' existing policy administration and agency management systems. The company complements these with a Developer Hub, a Help Center, and a browser-based Tax Calculator Extension launching in 2026.
InsCipher firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- InsCipher
- Legal name
- InsCipher, LLC
- Website
- https://inscipher.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- InsCipher is a bootstrapped Utah-based insurtech providing automated surplus lines tax calculation, filing, and compliance software, APIs, and managed services to 300+ US brokers, MGAs, agencies, and carriers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
InsCipher industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Insurance Tax Compliance Software
- NAICS
- Other Insurance Related Activities (52429), Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities (5242)
- SIC
- Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Tax Advisory & Compliance (BPAHABAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Indirect Tax (VAT/GST/Sales & Use) Services (BPAHABAJ), Eligibility, Coverage Verification & Policy Administration Support (BPAAAFAC)
Keywords
Where InsCipher is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Pleasant Grove
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
InsCipher business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Managed Filing Services: Fully managed surplus lines tax filing service where InsCipher handles the complete filing process for clients. Clients upload transactions and InsCipher's team manages compliance, calculations, state submissions, and payments.
- InsCipher Connect Platform: Subscription-based self-service software platform for surplus lines tax management. Clients use the platform to process filings internally with automated compliance checks and batch submissions.
- Tax Calculator API: API access to tax compliance database for real-time tax calculations during quote/bind processes. Accessed via API integration in client systems.
- Diligent Forms API: API for automated document generation including diligent effort forms and state-specific affidavits. Enables automated document assembly from carrier declination data.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
InsCipher product offering
Product offeringCore offering
InsCipher provides surplus lines (E&S) tax compliance solutions for the US insurance industry through a tiered portfolio: (1) a fully managed filing service staffed by a 100% US-based team, (2) the InsCipher Connect self-service SaaS platform for in-house compliance teams, and (3) developer-facing APIs (Tax Calculator API, Tax Calculator Widget, Tax Docs/Diligent Forms API) for embedding real-time tax rates and automated document generation into insurance systems across all 50 US states.
Product overview
InsCipher offers a comprehensive suite of surplus lines tax compliance solutions consisting of three service tiers: (1) Fully Managed Filing Service for outsourced compliance handled by a USA-based team; (2) InsCipher Connect platform for self-service tax management software with 300% velocity improvement claims; and (3) Developer-facing APIs (Tax Calculator API, Tax Calculator Widget, Surplus Lines Tax Documents API/Diligent Forms API) for embedding tax calculations and document generation into external systems. The portfolio is complemented by the Developer Hub self-service portal for API integration support and the Help Center for customer support. The company serves MGAs, brokers, retail agencies, and carriers across the excess and surplus lines market.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- InsCipher Connect®: Self-service surplus lines tax filing software platform that enables users to manage and submit tax filings to state portals.
- Tax Calculator API
- Tax Calculator Widget
- Tax Docs API (Diligent Forms API)
Products and services
- Fully Managed Surplus Lines Tax Filing Full-service E&S tax filing delivered by a 100% USA-based filing team. Clients upload transactions and InsCipher handles end-to-end compliance including state filings, tax payments, reconciliation, and regulatory submissions across all 50 states. Designed for MGAs, brokers, retail agencies, and carriers that prefer fully outsourced surplus lines tax compliance.
- InsCipher Connect Platform Self-service SaaS platform for surplus lines tax management that enables in-house filing teams to process transactions with a claimed 300% velocity improvement. Includes batch filing, electronic state submissions via API, automated compliance checks, E-Filing Queue automation, and customized reporting schedules for MGAs, brokers, agencies, and carriers that prefer internal control over their compliance workflow.
- Tax Calculator API REST API providing real-time access to InsCipher's proprietary Surplus Lines Tax Compliance Database for seamless quote/bind integration. Delivers live tax rates, fees, forms, and state stamp wording across all 50 US states, including complex jurisdictions such as Kentucky municipality taxes. Designed for software engineering teams at insurance carriers, MGAs, and insurtech platforms embedding tax calculations into quote/bind workflows.
- Tax Calculator Widget Embeddable widget version of the InsCipher tax calculator for integrating real-time E&S tax calculations into external websites, applications, and existing insurance workflows. Provides instant access to tax rates, documentation requirements, and accurate calculations without requiring full API integration.
- Tax Docs API (Diligent Forms API) REST API for automated generation of surplus lines tax documents including diligent effort forms and state-specific affidavits. Passes carrier declination information from agency management systems to auto-populate required forms and pre-fill state-specific documentation, simplifying document assembly for surplus lines insurance professionals.
- Surplus Lines Tax Calculator Extension Browser extension providing real-time E&S tax intelligence across workflows, enabling instant access to live tax rates, documentation requirements, and accurate calculations. Designed for surplus lines insurance professionals who need tax information surfaced directly within their existing browser-based tools.
Quantifiable outcome
- Organizations save an average of 70 hours per week by automating tax filing and reconciliation workflows
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use InsCipher
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
InsCipher technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
AI capability3 records
Feature7 records
InsCipher partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- SikichcoreStrategic partnership between InsCipher and Sikich, a Chicago-based global technology-enabled professional services firm with approximately 2,000 employees. The collaboration combines Sikich's integration capabilities with InsCipher's compliance software to enable insurance carriers and MGAs to simplify and automate surplus lines filing regardless of their Policy Administration or Agency Management platform.
- Scout InsurTechminorScout InsurTech interview featuring InsCipher's Jason Russon and Madeline Heintz sharing insights into how InsCipher is transforming surplus lines tax filing. Provides industry visibility and thought leadership exposure.
- InsuritycorePartnership between InsCipher and Insurity, a leading provider of cloud-based software solutions for insurers. The collaboration integrates Insurity's policy administration solutions with InsCipher's automated tax filing platform, enabling carriers, brokers, and MGAs to reduce compliance burdens, minimize errors, and scale E&S operations more efficiently.
- INSTANDAcoreIntegration partnership with INSTANDA, a policy administration platform. Through this partnership, carriers and MGAs can access accurate and up-to-date surplus lines tax rates across all 50 US states. The integration provides turnkey solutions for streamlined digital policy administration and tax filing, eliminating manual data entry through automated data reconciliation and state submissions.
- VertaforecoreAs an Orange Partner with Vertafore, InsCipher provides integrations with Vertafore products to help MGAs manage E&S taxes. The partnership supports customers through various integrations including AMS360. Vertafore is a leading insurance software provider serving the industry.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
InsCipher competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Avalara: Avalara is the largest pure-play tax compliance SaaS platform, providing automated sales/use tax calculation and filing via API and software — directly analogous to InsCipher's surplus lines tax calculator, filing, and API model, but across broader sales tax verticals rather than E&S.
- Sovos: Sovos is a global tax compliance SaaS provider offering transaction-tax determination, filing, and reporting APIs. Like InsCipher, Sovos sells usage-based API access plus managed filing services to enterprises that need always-on, multi-jurisdiction tax accuracy.
Broad incumbents
- Vertafore: Vertafore is the largest insurance software provider for agencies and MGAs (AMS360, Sagitta, etc.) and is an InsCipher Orange Partner. As an incumbent in the same workflow, Vertafore is the most likely distribution channel and the most plausible internal-build threat to InsCipher's embedded tax module.
- Insurity: Insurity provides cloud-based policy administration, billing, and claims software for insurers and MGAs. It is an InsCipher integration partner and a broad incumbent whose suite overlaps the workflows InsCipher serves, making it both a channel and a potential competitor.
- INSTANDA: INSTANDA is a modern policy administration platform serving carriers and MGAs. It is an InsCipher integration partner and operates in adjacent workflow territory where E&S tax compliance sits alongside policy issuance.
- Applied Systems: Applied Systems is the dominant agency management system (Applied Epic, TAM) provider for retail and wholesale insurance agencies. Its reach across the same customer base (brokers, agencies) makes it the principal broad incumbent for agency-side insurance workflow software that InsCipher complements.
- Duck Creek Technologies: Duck Creek is a leading insurance core systems provider (policy, billing, claims) sold primarily to carriers and large MGAs. It competes for the same IT budget that funds tax-compliance automation within insurance operations.
- Zywave: Zywave provides front-office, distribution, and content SaaS to insurance brokers and agencies. It serves overlapping customer segments (retail agencies, wholesalers) and operates adjacent workflow software where E&S compliance is a routine pain point.
Emerging players
- Surefyre: Surefyre is a digital underwriting and submission platform for wholesalers and MGAs. It addresses adjacent parts of the E&S submission-to-bind workflow and competes for IT spend at the same type of MGA and wholesale broker customers InsCipher serves.
- Tarmika: Tarmika is an insurance comparative rating and quoting platform for independent agencies. While focused on admitted lines rating, it operates in the same agency-software buying cycle as InsCipher's Connect platform, making it an emerging adjacent competitor for the agency-side workflow budget.
Market position
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
InsCipher social profiles
Digital presenceInsCipher compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
InsCipher financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
InsCipher leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
InsCipher funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
InsCipher M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about InsCipher
What does InsCipher do?
InsCipher provides surplus lines (E&S) tax compliance solutions for the US insurance industry through a tiered portfolio: (1) a fully managed filing service staffed by a 100% US-based team, (2) the InsCipher Connect self-service SaaS platform for in-house compliance teams, and (3) developer-facing APIs (Tax Calculator API, Tax Calculator Widget, Tax Docs/Diligent Forms API) for embedding real-time tax rates and automated document generation into insurance systems across all 50 US states.
Is InsCipher a public or private company?
InsCipher is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was InsCipher founded?
InsCipher was founded in 2015. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is InsCipher based?
InsCipher is headquartered in Pleasant Grove, United States, in the North America region.
How does InsCipher make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Managed Filing Services are the primary driver. The others are insCipher Connect Platform, tax Calculator API and diligent Forms API.
Who are InsCipher's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Avalara and Sovos. Broad incumbents are Vertafore, Insurity, INSTANDA, Applied Systems, Duck Creek Technologies and Zywave. Emerging players are Surefyre and Tarmika.
Does InsCipher have an API?
Yes. InsCipher offers multiple APIs for surplus lines tax compliance: Tax Calculator API for real-time tax rate calculations, Tax Calculator Widget for embedding calculations in external systems, Tax Docs API (Diligent Forms API) for auto-populating state-specific affidavits and diligent effort forms, and Tax Data Import APIs for data import functionality. APIs use REST architecture with JSON request/response format and API key authentication. Data transfer is described as happening in less than a second. Developer documentation is at developer.inscipher.com.
What industry is InsCipher in?
InsCipher's product category is Insurance Tax Compliance Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHABAB, Tax Advisory & Compliance, with a secondary code of BPAHABAJ, Indirect Tax (VAT/GST/Sales & Use) Services. Its NAICS code is 52429 and its SIC code is 6411.