Starr
Starr is a global specialty insurance and reinsurance organization underwriting property, casualty, and specialty coverages for large commercial insureds across aviation, marine, energy, construction, and financial lines, distributing through brokers and Lloyd's with $12.4 billion in gross written premium.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1919
- HeadquartersWest New York, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Starr does
Starr is a global specialty insurance and reinsurance organization founded in 1919 and privately held under the C.V. Starr & Co., Inc. and Starr International Company, Inc. holding structure. The company underwrites property, casualty, accident and health, and specialty insurance coverages for large commercial insureds across more than a dozen industry verticals, including aviation, aerospace, marine, energy (including offshore renewables and exploration & production), construction, financial lines, manufacturing, environmental, hospitality, professional liability, real estate, retail, and travel. It also operates reinsurance through the Starr Re platform in Bermuda and London and offers transactional risk coverage, risk engineering, and consulting services through Starr Consulting Services. Following the March 2026 acquisition of IQUW Group, Starr's Lloyd's managing agency is the ninth-largest in the market, and the combined platform includes $12.4 billion in gross written premium (estimated 12/31/2025), $43.9 billion in total assets, and $14.9 billion in shareholders' equity.
Distribution is primarily broker-led: Starr's products reach customers through affiliated agencies, non-affiliated agents and brokers, coverholders, third-party administrators, and direct field sales, with multi-jurisdiction regulatory licensing across the US (NAIC), UK (FCA), Switzerland (FINMA), Bermuda, and Thailand (among others). Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, reflecting individual underwriting assessment for each risk. Operating leverage is being pursued through operational technology initiatives, most notably the January 2026 selection of Five Sigma's AI-native Claims Management Platform and Clive multi-agent AI claims expert, targeting material reductions in claims cycle times and loss adjustment expenses across P&C and specialty operations.
The company's competitive position rests on a century-old brand, A.M. Best 'A' (Excellent) financial strength ratings across 11+ insurance entities, a recent AM Best Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating upgrade to 'a+', diversified specialty product breadth, and meaningful capital scale. Recent strategic priorities include the IQUW integration, expansion into M&A-related transactional risk via Distinguished Programs, participation in the U.S. DFC $40 billion maritime reinsurance facility for Strait of Hormuz coverage, and senior leadership hires in global property operations and Asia-Pacific.
Starr firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Starr
- Legal name
- C. V. Starr & Co., Inc.
- Website
- https://starr.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1919
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Starr is a global specialty insurance and reinsurance organization underwriting property, casualty, and specialty coverages for large commercial insureds across aviation, marine, energy, construction, and financial lines, distributing through brokers and Lloyd's with $12.4 billion in gross written premium.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Starr industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Commercial Insurance and Reinsurance
- NAICS
- Direct Property and Casualty Insurance Carriers (524126), Reinsurance Carriers (524130)
- SIC
- Fire, Marine & Casualty Insurance (6331), Insurance Carriers, Nec (6399)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Aviation & Space Reinsurance (FSAOABAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Marine & Energy Reinsurance (FSAOABAK), Facultative Engineering & Construction (CAR/EAR) Reinsurance (FSAOAFAE), Directors & Officers (D&O) Reinsurance (FSAOADAI), Accident & Health (A&H) / Travel Reinsurance (FSAOADAM)
Keywords
Where Starr is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- West New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices6 records
Markets served
Starr business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Insurance Underwriting: Starr underwrites property and casualty insurance for large commercial insureds, collecting premiums in exchange for coverage. The company operates across multiple lines of business including aviation, construction, marine, energy, financial lines, manufacturing, environmental, hospitality, professional liability, real estate, retail, and travel insurance.
- Reinsurance: Starr operates reinsurance operations through Starr Re (Bermuda and London), providing inward reinsurance capacity to other insurers. This includes property treaty, specialty reinsurance, and casualty reinsurance across geographies.
- Service Contracts: Starr Underwriting Agency, Inc. (formerly Starr Technical Risks Agency, Inc.) sells service contracts through administrators and retailers, underwritten by Starr Indemnity & Liability Company.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Annual | Quote-based commercial insurance pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Starr product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Starr underwrites and distributes property, casualty, accident and health, and specialty insurance coverages for large commercial insureds across aviation, construction, marine, energy, financial lines, manufacturing, environmental, hospitality, professional liability, real estate, retail, and travel sectors. It also operates a global reinsurance platform (Starr Re) through Bermuda and London providing property treaty and specialty reinsurance capacity to other insurers.
Product overview
Starr is a global specialty insurance and reinsurance organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of commercial insurance products and reinsurance solutions. The company operates across multiple platforms: direct insurance through Bermuda, wholesale insurance through London/Lloyd's, and reinsurance through Starr Re. The product portfolio spans Aviation & Aerospace, Marine, Energy (including Exploration & Production, Onshore, and Offshore Renewables), Construction, Financial Lines, Property, Casualty, Cyber, Professional Liability, Political Risk, Travel, and numerous specialty lines. Following the March 2026 acquisition of IQUW Group, Starr's Lloyd's platform was strengthened with IQUW (Syndicate 1856) rebranded as Starr and ERS (Syndicate 218, UK's largest specialist motor insurer) continuing under its established brand. The reinsurance operations including IQUW Re Bermuda and London reinsurance now trade as Starr Re. Starr also provides consulting and risk engineering services through Starr Consulting Services and offers transactional risk insurance including representations and warranties coverage. The company maintains A.M. Best 'A' (Excellent) ratings across its global subsidiaries with $12.4 billion in gross written premiums.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Starr Re: Reinsurance platform combining IQUW Re Bermuda and London reinsurance operations
- ERS
- Starr Consulting Services
Products and services
- Aviation & Aerospace Insurance Comprehensive coverage for aviation and aerospace risks including aircraft hull, liability, and related operations for airlines, aerospace manufacturers, airports, and general aviation operators.
- Marine Insurance Coverage for marine vessels, cargo, hull, marine liability, ports and terminals exposures across global shipping operations.
- Energy Insurance Insurance coverage for energy sector risks including exploration and production, onshore energy operations, offshore renewables, and energy liability.
- Construction Insurance Property and liability coverage for construction projects and contractors including global construction capabilities covering builders risk and project coverage.
- Financial Lines Insurance Management liability, professional indemnity, and financial institution coverage including D&O, CLL, PTL, EPL and crime.
- Property Insurance Commercial property, direct and facultative property coverage, and delegated authority property solutions for commercial insureds.
- Casualty Insurance General liability, employers liability, and comprehensive casualty coverage for commercial clients.
- Professional Liability Insurance Professional indemnity and errors & omissions coverage protecting against claims arising from professional services and advice.
- Cyber Insurance Cyber risk coverage and protection for digital assets, data breaches, and cyber liability exposures, including FortiFI US and FortiFI AUS combined financial institutions and cyber products.
- Political Risk & Financial Risks Insurance Coverage for political violence, political risks, and financial losses from sovereign or political events.
- Travel Insurance Travel insurance products for both consumer and commercial segments including accident and health travel coverage.
- Crisis Management Insurance Coverage for crisis situations including incident response and reputation protection.
- Accident & Health Insurance Personal accident, medical expenses, and health-related insurance coverage for individuals and groups.
- Multinational Programmes Cross-border insurance programmes for multinational corporations operating across multiple jurisdictions.
- Environmental Insurance Coverage for environmental liability and pollution-related risks for commercial operations.
- Hospitality Insurance Specialized coverage for hotels, restaurants, and hospitality sector businesses.
- Real Estate Insurance Property and liability coverage for commercial and residential real estate portfolios.
- Manufacturing Insurance Coverage for manufacturing operations, products liability, and supply chain risks.
- Retail Insurance Insurance solutions for the retail sector, including UK retail motor and general retail coverage.
- War Insurance Specialty war risk coverage for maritime and other assets exposed to conflict zone risks, including participation in the DFC maritime reinsurance facility for Strait of Hormuz coverage.
- StarrLink Aviation Products Aviation coverage suite under the StarrLink brand including fixed-wing aircraft, airside liability, component parts, and UK glider coverages.
- Starr Re (Bermuda) Bermuda-based reinsurance platform trading as Starr Re, providing Property Treaty and Specialty Reinsurance capacity.
- Starr Re (London)
Quantifiable outcome
- $12.4 billion gross written premium estimated as of 12/31/2025
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Starr
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments12 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Starr technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
Feature1 record
Starr partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- IQUW GroupcoreStarr completed acquisition of IQUW Group, a specialty insurance and reinsurance business with $1.88 billion GWP, including two Lloyd's syndicates and a Bermuda-based reinsurance platform, rebranding IQUW Re as Starr Re.
- ChubbcoreChubb serves as lead underwriter for the U.S. Development Finance Corporation's $40 billion maritime reinsurance facility for Strait of Hormuz coverage, with Starr as one of seven participating U.S. insurers providing war risk insurance capacity.
- Berkshire HathawaycoreBerkshire Hathaway joined the U.S. government-backed insurance syndicate providing $40 billion in coverage for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, marking a significant departure from Warren Buffett's practice of avoiding war-risk underwriting at scale.
- AIGcoreAIG joined as a participating insurer in the DFC maritime reinsurance plan alongside Chubb, Berkshire Hathaway, Travelers, Liberty Mutual, Starr, and CNA, contributing to the $40 billion facility.
- TravelerscoreTravelers joined the expanded DFC maritime reinsurance plan providing $40 billion in war risk insurance coverage for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
- Liberty MutualcoreLiberty Mutual joined as a participating insurer in the expanded DFC maritime reinsurance facility with $40 billion total capacity.
- CNAcoreCNA joined as one of the participating insurers in the DFC maritime reinsurance plan alongside Chubb, AIG, Berkshire Hathaway, Travelers, Liberty Mutual, and Starr.
- Distinguished ProgramsminorDistinguished Programs partnered with Starr as its carrier partner for a new Transactional Risk program offering representations and warranties insurance (RWI) and tax liability insurance nationwide.
- U.S. Development Finance Corporation (DFC)coreDFC launched and expanded a Maritime Reinsurance Facility providing $40 billion in war risk insurance coverage for vessels navigating the Gulf region, with half the coverage backed by the U.S. government and Starr among the participating insurers.
- Five SigmacoreStarr selected Five Sigma's AI-native Claims Management Platform and Clive multi-agent AI claims expert to modernize Starr's P&C and specialty claims operations, enabling real-time data analysis, workflow orchestration, and adjuster guidance.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Starr competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Beazley: Lloyd's-listed specialty insurer focused on marine, aviation, political risk, cyber, and specialty liability — highly comparable specialty underwriting model and Lloyd's distribution presence.
- Hiscox: Lloyd's-listed specialty insurer with portfolios in marine, aviation, energy, professional liability, and cyber — directly comparable specialty book and Lloyd's market presence.
- Aspen Insurance Holdings: Lloyd's-listed specialty insurer and reinsurer underwriting aviation, marine, energy, and financial lines — highly comparable specialty underwriting focus and Lloyd's syndicate structure.
- CNA Financial: US commercial P&C insurer with significant specialty capabilities in professional liability, management liability, marine, and construction — closely comparable specialty book and co-participant in the DFC maritime facility.
- Lancashire Holdings: Bermuda-based specialty insurer focused on aviation, marine, energy, and political risk with London market operations — closely comparable specialty book, particularly in aviation and political risk where Starr also leads.
Broad incumbents
- Travelers: Major US commercial P&C insurer with growing specialty capabilities in management liability, financial lines, and construction — overlaps with Starr's financial lines and construction portfolios and is a co-participant in the DFC facility.
- Chubb: One of the world's largest P&C insurers with deep specialty capabilities across aviation, marine, energy, financial lines, and construction — directly comparable to Starr's specialty portfolio and a co-participant in the DFC maritime facility.
- Liberty Mutual Insurance: Global P&C insurer with a strong specialty insurance division (Liberty Specialty Markets) active in marine, energy, construction, aviation, and financial lines — directly competes with Starr in core specialty segments and is a co-participant in the DFC facility.
- American International Group (AIG): Global P&C and specialty insurer with overlapping aviation, marine, energy, financial lines, and political risk capabilities, also a co-participant in the DFC maritime reinsurance facility and a Lloyd's market operator.
- Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance: Specialty arm of Berkshire Hathaway providing commercial specialty insurance across executive lines, professional liability, marine, aviation, and political risk — directly comparable specialty competitor and a co-participant in the DFC maritime facility.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Starr social profiles
Digital presenceStarr compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance17 records
Starr financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Starr leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Starr subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries6 records
Starr funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Starr M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Starr
What does Starr do?
Starr underwrites and distributes property, casualty, accident and health, and specialty insurance coverages for large commercial insureds across aviation, construction, marine, energy, financial lines, manufacturing, environmental, hospitality, professional liability, real estate, retail, and travel sectors. It also operates a global reinsurance platform (Starr Re) through Bermuda and London providing property treaty and specialty reinsurance capacity to other insurers.
Is Starr a public or private company?
Starr is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Starr founded?
Starr was founded in 1919.
Where is Starr based?
Starr is headquartered in West New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Starr make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Insurance Underwriting is the primary driver. The others are reinsurance and service Contracts.
Who are Starr's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Beazley, Hiscox, Aspen Insurance Holdings, CNA Financial and Lancashire Holdings. Broad incumbents are Travelers, Chubb, Liberty Mutual Insurance, American International Group (AIG) and Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance.
Does Starr have an API?
No public API is recorded for Starr.
What industry is Starr in?
Starr's product category is Specialty Commercial Insurance and Reinsurance. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAOABAL, Aviation & Space Reinsurance, with a secondary code of FSAOABAK, Marine & Energy Reinsurance. Its NAICS code is 524126 and its SIC code is 6331.