Direct Business Connections

What Direct Business Connections does

Direct Business Connections, Inc. (DBC) is a Honolulu-based insurance services and consulting firm founded in December 2008 that specializes in Hawaii property and casualty insurance. The firm serves insurance companies, agencies, brokers, and managing general agencies with a portfolio spanning regulatory filing assistance with the Hawaii Insurance Division, market intelligence, GIS-based underwriting tools, and statewide field inspection services. Its core product is the Online Property Underwriting System (OPUS), a proprietary Hawaii-specific GIS that overlays FEMA flood zones, tsunami evacuation zones, lava flow paths, earthquake seismic zones, public protection classifications, and elevation data onto address or TMK lookups for property underwriting and ratemaking.

DBC generates revenue through a mix of subscription-based web products (OPUS, Web Services, Batch Portfolio Analysis, Market Share reports), per-engagement professional services (filings, consulting, research, catastrophe claims adjusting, address cleansing), unit-priced compliance forms, and field inspection fees. Field operations cover all six main Hawaiian islands (Oahu, Maui, Hawaii, Kauai, Molokai, Lanai) with inspectors each carrying a minimum of ten years of Hawaii-specific underwriting, loss control, and property claims experience. Specialized inspection products — Commercial Valuation, High Value Dwelling, External Dwelling, Dwelling Valuation, Loss Control, Sprinkler Plan Review, and Drive-by Inspections — rely on Marshall & Swift valuation software with Hawaii component cost data.

Distribution is direct and relationship-led: customers engage via the corporate website, phone, or email, with HIB (Hawaii Insurance Bureau) acting as a referral channel for affiliate Proof of Insurance Form distribution and State of Hawaii subcontracts demonstrating adjacent public-sector reach. DBC operates as a privately held founder/management-led entity with no disclosed funding rounds, parent company, acquisitions, or leadership changes since inception, and remains structurally focused on the State of Hawaii market.

Name

Direct Business Connections

Legal name

Direct Business Connections, Inc.

Website

https://dbcinc-usa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Direct Business Connections is a Honolulu-based insurance services firm providing Hawaii property and casualty consulting, regulatory filings, GIS-based underwriting tools (OPUS), and statewide field inspection services to insurance carriers, agencies, brokers, and managing general agencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Insurance Services & Technology Consulting

NAICS

Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities (5242), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518), Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Technology / IT Services BOP (FSAJAFAK)

Keywords

• Property casualty insurance services
• Insurance underwriting consulting
• GIS property mapping
• Insurance field inspections
• Insurance market intelligence

Headquarters

HQ city

Honolulu

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Insurance Services & Consulting: Fee-based management and administrative services, property & casualty insurance information and consulting services for insurance companies, agencies, brokers, and managing general agencies — including filing assistance, data management, and insurance market intelligence.
2. Field Inspection Services: Per-engagement fees for property/survey inspections, loss control inspections, commercial valuation, dwelling valuation, external dwelling, high value dwelling, sprinkler plan review, and catastrophe claims adjusting. Statewide coverage in Hawaii.
3. GIS / Web Services Subscriptions: Recurring access to OPUS (Online Property Underwriting System), Web Services (filings, public protection manual, commercial property database), and Batch Portfolio Analysis (BPA) for Hawaii P&C insurers.
4. Proof of Insurance Form Sales: Unit-priced sale of the Official Inspection Station Proof of Insurance Form at $11.52 per form for non-HIB affiliates; complimentary for HIB affiliates subscribing to the General Liability line.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Direct Business Connections (DBC) is a Honolulu-based insurance services and consulting firm that helps Hawaii-based property and casualty insurance companies, agencies, brokers, and managing general agencies operate more efficiently. The firm delivers regulatory filing assistance with the Hawaii Insurance Division, market intelligence, data management, and field inspection services, supported by proprietary GIS-based products such as the Online Property Underwriting System (OPUS) and Batch Portfolio Analysis (BPA).

Product overview

Direct Business Connections (DBC) is a Honolulu-based insurance services and consulting firm that offers a modular portfolio of property and casualty (P&C) insurance products and services built around an internal core of insurance expertise in filings, data, and field inspection rather than a single unified software platform. The portfolio is anchored by the Online Property Underwriting System (OPUS), a Geographic Information System (GIS) product for property underwriting and risk visualization, which is complemented by information services such as Web Services, the Comprehensive P/C Insurance Glossary, Market Share reports, Market Segments programs, Batch Portfolio Analysis (BPA), and Proof of Insurance Forms. Alongside these information and analytics offerings, DBC provides a suite of field inspection products — Sprinkler Plan Review, Commercial Valuation, High Value Dwelling Inspection, External Dwelling Inspection, Dwelling Valuation Inspections, Loss Control Inspection, and Drive-by Inspections — supported by operational services including Claims Adjusting during Catastrophes, Research Projects, Correct Addresses for Company's Book of Business, and Accept Subcontract Work. The field inspection outputs and the GIS-based analytics products reference each other (for example, BPA is used together with catastrophe claims adjusting, and the Web Services / Market Segments products share the commercial property database), and the field inspection products commonly rely on Marshall and Swift valuation software for replacement cost calculations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• OPUS (Online Property Underwriting System): A geographic information system (GIS) product designed for Hawaii insurers that displays property location data (PPC, FEMA flood zones, tsunami zones, lava flow paths, etc.) to assist with property and casualty underwriting and ratemaking.
• BPA (Batch Portfolio Analysis)

Products and services

• Online Property Underwriting System (OPUS) GIS-based online property underwriting system used by Hawaii property and casualty insurers. Users enter an address or TMK number to view a map marker with overlays including Public Protection Classification, FEMA flood zones, tsunami evacuation zones, lava flow paths (Hawaii County), earthquake seismic zones, Oahu elevation, distance to ocean/river/streams, year built, and legal owner (Oahu only).
• Web Services Insurance information service providing Hawaii P&C lines filings (forms, rules, and loss costs), the public protection manual, and the commercial property database with specifically rated buildings (construction type, tenant lists, occupancy type, hazard of occupancy, and pictures).
• Batch Portfolio Analysis (BPA) Web-based portfolio analysis tool that maps an insurer's book of business by address and tabulates locations against hazards such as tsunami zone, lava flow zones (Hawaii County), flood zones, public protection classification, year built, construction classes, distance to ocean, and building values; supports sorting by zip code, island, agency, or in entirety.
• Market Share Reports Electronic report providing a five-year history of market share data for the property and casualty industry in the State of Hawaii, exportable to spreadsheets and accompanied by five-year historical charts.
• Market Segments Programs Ready-to-use insurance programs providing policy forms, rules, and loss costs for niche commercial markets (auto risks, apartment building owners, funeral homes, hotels/motels/inns, personal care services, restaurants, supermarkets), built by combining ISO monoline coverage forms with DBC wrap-around endorsements and the commercial property database.
• Comprehensive P/C Insurance Glossary Continuously updated insurance industry glossary covering common terms through unfamiliar construction types, designed for insurance practitioners.
• Official Inspection Station Proof of Insurance Forms Distribution service for the State of Hawaii Department of Transportation's Official Inspection Station Proof of Insurance form, fulfilling Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 286-27. Provided at no extra cost to HIB General Liability subscribers and at $11.52 per form to non-affiliates.
• Sprinkler Plan Review Evaluation service reviewing sprinkler system plans to determine whether they meet minimum eligibility requirements for insurance credit, with DBC's approval stamp confirming the review per DBC's evaluation schedule.
• Commercial Valuation Commercial property inspection delivering replacement cost (using Marshall & Swift valuation software based on Hawaii component cost) and underwriting information for commercial buildings, identifying unique construction features and exposures statewide.
• High Value Dwelling Inspection Survey for high-end residential underwriting that includes detailed underwriting information, full Marshall & Swift replacement cost analysis (Hawaii component cost), digital color photographs, and a CAD diagram of the dwellings.
• External Dwelling Inspection External residential survey providing basic underwriting information (construction, public protection, exposure) in an "all on one page" format with two embedded digital color photographs, delivered statewide in hard copy or by email in WORD format.
• Dwelling Valuation Inspections Basic field inspection report for standard dwellings providing Marshall & Swift replacement valuation plus underwriting information on construction, exposure, and public protection, with two embedded digital photos; available statewide.
• Loss Control Inspection Commercial loss control service that identifies and evaluates loss exposures through a physical premises inspection, with a checklist/narrative report covering interior and exterior exposures and crime hazards, accompanied by property, hazard, and building diagram photos; addendums available for restaurants/bars, multifamily dwellings, liquor liability, jewelers block, and auto fleet.
• Insurance Services & Consulting Insurance services and consulting offerings including Hawaii Insurance Division filing assistance, insurance data management and analysis, market intelligence, and insurance technology for insurance companies, agencies, brokers, and managing general agencies.
• Claims Adjusting during Catastrophes Claims adjusting service that supplements insurance companies' claims departments during catastrophes, combining experienced catastrophe adjusters with Batch Portfolio Analysis to identify high-risk policies that may be impacted by the event.
• Research Projects Custom insurance market and underwriting research service that analyzes and compiles large amounts of data, including data mining to support client decision-making.
• Correct Addresses for Company's Book of Business Book-of-business address cleanup service that uses proprietary resources to correct suspect or missing addresses (including TMK-only entries), mitigating reinsurer punitive fees, undesirable risk acceptance, and company rating downgrades.
• Subcontract Field Inspection Services Subcontract field inspection services offered across all six Hawaiian islands (Oahu, Maui, Hawaii, Kauai, Molokai, Lanai), performed by field representatives with a minimum of ten years of Hawaii-specific insurance experience.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduces time spent on underwriting and ratemaking through address/TMK-based GIS lookups via OPUS
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• State of HawaiicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDBC has been subcontracted by the State of Hawaii to survey commercial buildings and personal dwellings for the State's Earthquake preparedness study. The relationship leverages DBC's statewide field inspection experience across all six main Hawaiian islands and its 10+ year inspector experience.
• HIB (Hawaii Insurance Bureau)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHIB affiliates subscribing to the General Liability line can obtain the Official Inspection Station Proof of Insurance Form from DBC at no extra cost; non-affiliates pay $11.52 per form via written request. HIB routes affiliates' requests to DBC.
• Marshall & SwiftcoreTechnology or IntegrationDBC performs replacement cost valuations using Marshall & Swift valuation software, based on component cost in Hawaii. Marshall & Swift powers the commercial valuation, dwelling valuation, and high value dwelling reports delivered by DBC's field representatives.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• EagleView: EagleView provides aerial imagery and property intelligence used by P&C insurers for underwriting and claims. Comparable because it offers address-driven property analytics and measurements for insurance workflows that directly overlap with DBC's OPUS and Batch Portfolio Analysis capabilities.
• TRUE Pre-Inspection Services: TRUE is a national third-party inspection and underwriting services provider for P&C carriers, offering property, commercial, and loss control inspections. Comparable because it competes with DBC's statewide Hawaii field inspection catalog on a much larger geographic scale.
• HazardHub: HazardHub provides peril-level risk data (flood, wildfire, wind, earthquake) at the property level for P&C insurers. Comparable because DBC's OPUS flood/tsunami/lava/seismic overlays serve the same underwriting use case for the same carrier buyer.
• Xactware (Verisk): Xactware provides property estimating and valuation software for insurance claims and underwriting. Comparable because it powers replacement cost calculations for residential and commercial property in the same carrier workflow as DBC's Commercial Valuation and Dwelling Valuation products.
• Pilot Catastrophe Services: Pilot Catastrophe Services provides independent claims adjusting and catastrophe response to insurance carriers. Comparable because DBC's Claims Adjusting during Catastrophes service directly overlaps with Pilot's surge claims adjusting model.

Broad incumbents

• Verisk (including ISO): Verisk owns ISO, the leading provider of P&C insurance forms, rules, loss costs, and statistical data. Verisk also offers a broad suite of property analytics and underwriting platforms. Comparable because DBC explicitly integrates ISO monoline forms into its Market Segments product and competes in adjacent property data/analytics territory.
• Cotality (formerly CoreLogic): Cotality provides property data, valuation, and analytics used across the mortgage and insurance industries. Comparable because DBC's OPUS, BPA, and commercial valuation offerings overlap with Cotality's property intelligence and parcel-level hazard data products serving the same insurance carrier customer base.
• LexisNexis Risk Solutions: LexisNexis Risk Solutions provides data and analytics for insurance underwriting, claims, and fraud detection. Comparable because it sells property and identity data products to the same carrier/agency buyer that DBC serves with OPUS and book-cleansing services.

Emerging players

• Cape Analytics: Cape Analytics applies computer vision to aerial imagery to deliver instant property intelligence for insurers, including hazard and condition attributes. Comparable because it competes with OPUS's hazard-overlay approach to property underwriting using AI-derived geospatial attributes.
• HouseCanary: HouseCanary offers property valuation and analytics for residential real estate and insurance. Comparable because DBC's Marshall & Swift-backed dwelling and high-value dwelling valuations serve the same replacement-cost and underwriting use case.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DBCINCUSA
• Facebookfacebook.com/Direct-Business-Connections-Inc-100067561816454
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/direct-business-connection

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Direct Business Connections