Foundershield vs Risklytics: Intellectual Property Insurance

Both place cover with outside carriers. Founder Shield targets patent holders with defense and enforcement cover, while Risklytics lets you apply online with no broker fee and cites a typical ask of $250,000 to $5 million.

Kearny Risk organizes these comparisons for firms whose advice, content or technology creates professional exposures.Research updated 2026-09-25

What Are the Key Differences Between Founder Shield and Risklytics Intellectual Property Insurance?

Schedule-and-Bind Versus Carrier-Floor Enforcement

Risklytics requires every patent filing and indemnity obligation to be scheduled and cites typical requests of $250,000 to $5 million per claim. Founder Shield describes IP defense and enforcement subject to underwriter approval and places coverage with carriers rated A- or better. Choose Risklytics if you can list all IP and your limit need fits that range; choose Founder Shield if the carrier floor and approved-enforcement model fit your risk. [10] [5] [4]

First Patent Versus Competitor Claims

Founder Shield targets companies holding one or more patents, businesses vulnerable to competitor claims, and companies at risk of accidental infringement. Risklytics says buyers typically need the coverage at their first filed patent or the first contract requiring them to cover a customer's IP claims, that enterprise IP-indemnity clauses require it, and that companies without patents can still need the line because trademarks, copyrighted code and trade secrets count. Risklytics publishes the typical ask range; Founder Shield's reviewed pages do not. [5] [10]

Advisor Request Versus Online Application

You request Founder Shield coverage through its website or an advisor; the placement team approaches carriers. You start Risklytics through its online application; Risklytics says there is no broker fee on top of the premium, a licensed producer stays on the file until bind, and commission is paid by the carrier out of the premium either way. Ask both who issues the policy; neither reviewed page names the carrier for a given quote. [3] [4] [9] [8]

What Should You Confirm in Founder Shield and Risklytics Intellectual Property Insurance Quotes?

  • Ask Founder Shield which A- or better carrier is quoting and whether enforcement needs underwriter approval. [4] [5]
  • Ask Risklytics which specialist insurer is quoting and confirm every patent and indemnity obligation is scheduled. [10]
  • Compare Risklytics' $250,000-$5 million typical ask with Founder Shield's quoted limits. [10]
  • Confirm how each broker is paid; Risklytics says there is no extra broker fee on top of premium. [9]

Areas of coverage

Founder Shield

  • role: Founder Shield is a retail insurance brokerage, described on its site as “the innovation arm of The Baldwin Group,” and places Founder Shield Intellectual Property Insurance with third-party carriers rather than underwriting the policy itself. About-us page; applies to Founder Shield's brokerage model generally, restated here for this line.company-reportedSource ↗
  • eligibility: Founder Shield targets IP coverage at companies holding one or more patents, businesses vulnerable to competitor infringement claims, and companies at risk of accidentally infringing another party's IP. Intellectual Property Insurance product page.company-reportedSource ↗
  • coverage: Founder Shield describes two components: defense coverage (legal costs and judgments if the policyholder is accused of infringement) and enforcement coverage (funding, with underwriter approval, to sue an infringer and recoup lost income). Product page; the issued policy and declarations control actual coverage.company-reportedSource ↗
  • insurer: Founder Shield says it places policies, including Founder Shield Intellectual Property Insurance, only with carriers rated A- or better by AM Best, chosen for the client's industry. It does not name the issuing insurer for this line; that depends on which carrier the policy is placed with. General carrier-selection FAQ, not specific to this line's placements.company-reportedSource ↗
  • application: You request Founder Shield Intellectual Property Insurance through Founder Shield's website or an insurance advisor rather than binding coverage directly; Founder Shield says its placement team then approaches carriers on the client's behalf. About-us and carrier-selection pages describe the general placement process, not a line-specific application form.company-reportedSource ↗Source ↗

Risklytics

  • role: Risklytics Insurance Services is a licensed insurance producer (NPN 22311838) that places Risklytics Intellectual Property Insurance with outside carriers; it says it does not underwrite policies itself. About page; describes Risklytics' brokerage model generally, restated for this line.company-reportedSource ↗
  • coverage: Risklytics describes this line as paying legal costs on both sides of an IP dispute: defending a claim that the company's product infringes someone else's patent, trademark or copyright, and pursuing an infringer of its own IP, and distinguishes it from cyber liability, which would answer source code stolen in a breach rather than an infringement claim. Lines page; the issued policy and declarations control actual coverage.company-reportedSource ↗
  • eligibility: Risklytics says buyers typically need this coverage at their first filed patent or the first contract requiring them to cover a customer's IP claims, and that enterprise contracts with an IP indemnity clause require it; it adds that companies without patents can still need the line because trademarks, copyrighted code and trade secrets count too. Lines page.company-reportedSource ↗
  • limits: Risklytics lists a typical ask of $250,000 to $5 million per claim for this line. Lines page; actual limits are set on the bound policy.company-reportedSource ↗
  • services: Risklytics says only a short list of insurers write this line and that they require every patent filing and indemnity obligation to be listed before placement. Lines page.company-reportedSource ↗
  • insurer: Risklytics does not name the carrier that underwrites Risklytics Intellectual Property Insurance on its site. It says it places business with specialist insurers willing to write robotics, autonomy and AI risk; the issuing carrier appears on the bound policy. Lines page and about page; no specific insurer is published for this line.company-reportedSource ↗Source ↗
  • application: You start Risklytics Intellectual Property Insurance through Risklytics' online application. Risklytics says there is no broker fee on top of the premium and a licensed producer stays on the file until the program binds; its commission is paid by the carrier out of the premium either way. Pricing page describes the general application and fee process, not a line-specific form.company-reportedSource ↗Source ↗

Risklytics is the fit if you can schedule every patent and indemnity and your typical ask is $250,000 to $5 million per claim. Founder Shield is the fit if you want defense and underwriter-approved enforcement through A- or better carriers.

Sources reviewed

  1. 01
    Intellectual property insurance

    CFC · Opening; Defense; Pursuit of infringers; Contractual indemnity; US-facing product offering · accessed 2026-09-16

  2. 02
    Intellectual Property Insurance application form — US

    CFC Underwriting Limited · Sections 1–2 pp.1–2; Section 3 pp.3–4; Section 4 p.4; Section 6.1 p.5; Section 6.2 p.6 · accessed 2026-09-16

  3. 03
    About Us

    Founder Shield · “Founder Shield is the innovation arm of The Baldwin Group”; company history and mission · accessed 2026-09-23

  4. 04
    How Do You Decide Which Carriers to Approach?

    Founder Shield · FAQ answer on carrier selection: works exclusively with A-rated (AM Best) carriers, matched by industry appetite · accessed 2026-09-23

  5. 05
    Intellectual Property Insurance

    Founder Shield · What Is Intellectual Property Insurance?; Who Needs Intellectual Property Insurance Coverage?; What Does Intellectual Property Insurance Cover? · accessed 2026-09-23

  6. 06
    IP Infringement Insurance Application

    Intellectual Property Insurance Services Corporation · p.1 specimen request; Section 1 pp.2–4; Defense Section 2 pp.5–6; Enforcement Section 3 pp.7–9 · accessed 2026-09-16

  7. 07
    Small Business Insurance

    National Association of Insurance Commissioners · Other types of business liability insurance · accessed 2026-09-16

  8. 08
    About Risklytics: who we are

    Risklytics · “What we do”; Licensing: Risklytics Insurance Services, National Producer Number 22311838, resident license Massachusetts · accessed 2026-09-23

  9. 09
    How pricing and broker fees work

    Risklytics · Buying direct / Generic broker / Risklytics comparison table: no broker fee, commission paid by the carrier out of premium · accessed 2026-09-23

  10. 10
    Intellectual Property Insurance

    Risklytics · Coverage line: Intellectual Property; Built for moments like these; When to buy; Who requires it; How hard to get; Common questions · accessed 2026-09-23

  11. 11
    Intellectual property insurance (UK guidance)

    UK Intellectual Property Office · About IP and insurance > types of products; exclusions/excess/co-insurance; claims process and legal representation · accessed 2026-09-16

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