Vouch

Vouch is a San Francisco-based business insurance provider serving startups and high-growth companies. It launched publicly in September 2019 with proprietary insurance products and risk assessment tools sold entirely online, offering coverage lines such as general liability, property, cyber, errors and omissions (E&O), and directors and officers (D&O). At launch, approved startups could activate coverage in about 10 minutes, with policies starting at $300 per year for basic theft and litigation coverage, and Vouch's policies were backed by reinsurer Munich Re. In 2021 the company became a licensed insurance carrier backing its own policies alongside reinsurance partners, and added products including Work From Anywhere coverage for company-owned property regardless of location, Cloud Cover for business outages caused by cyberattacks, expanded cybercrime coverage, and embedded insurance distributed through partners.

The company now positions itself as a full-service, technology-driven insurance broker and risk advisor, organized around four industry verticals: technology, healthcare and life sciences, professional services, and financial services. Service lines include new business insurance setup, founder and investor protection, contract requirements review, workforce compliance, comprehensive coverage reviews, and claims advocacy. Vouch states it pairs human advisors with AI to speed analysis and reduce paperwork. Its underwriting division, Corix, is being acquired by Hiscox.

Leadership includes co-founder Sam Hodges (Executive Chairman) and co-founder Travis Hedge (Chief Executive Officer), along with Kelly Wulff (Chief Legal & Administrative Officer), Steve Kenning (COO), Camron Khan (CTO), Tyson Stevenson (CRO), Emma Kako (GM, Early Stage), Clark Kays (Head of Marketing), Jessica Carl (Head of Placements), Kristan Hinckley (Sr. Director of Finance), and Jim Loughlin (Head of Client Management). The company has offices in San Francisco and Chicago and is headquartered at 250 Montgomery Street, Suite 650, San Francisco.

Founding story

Vouch was co-founded in 2018 by Sam Hodges and Travis Hedge. Hodges, who served as initial CEO, had previously co-founded Funding Circle US (which IPO'd in 2018) and was CEO of WorkingPoint Software, beginning his career as a strategy consultant to and investor in the insurance sector; he was also in the inaugural class of the Aspen Institute's Finance Leaders Fellowship. Hedge, initially Vouch's vice president of business development, had been an investor with Nationwide Insurance and SVB Capital, where he worked with technology companies including Root Insurance. According to the company, Hodges had experienced the cost and friction of generic brokers as a repeat entrepreneur, while Hedge observed from the venture side how coverage gaps stalled fundraising, contracts, and growth. The founding team also included technologists and risk experts from Silicon Valley Bank, NerdWallet, Zenefits, LevelMoney, Travelers Insurance, Lyft, and Google.

Business model

Vouch distributes business insurance to startups and growth-stage companies through a digital platform combined with human advisors. Originally it operated as an insurance company rather than a broker, selling proprietary policies online and, from 2021, backing its own policies as a licensed carrier alongside reinsurance partners. It now describes itself as a full-service, technology-driven insurance broker and risk advisor working with a network of more than 500 partners, and is divesting its underwriting division, Corix, to Hiscox.

Revenue derives from the sale of business insurance policies to companies; at launch, policies started at $300 per year for basic theft and litigation coverage. The company has declined to disclose revenue figures.

Traction

As of September 2021, Vouch reported a 7x year-over-year increase in its customer base, more than 1,600 clients, and over $5.7 billion in insured risk across thousands of policies; headcount grew from 55 employees in September 2020 to 125 full-time employees. Y Combinator lists a team size of 190. The company currently reports more than 6,000 companies insured, an NPS above 74, 81% same-day quoting, and over 500 partners.

Latest developments

Vouch announced a $25 million Series C-1 in March 2024. Hiscox has agreed to acquire Corix, Vouch's underwriting division, which Vouch says will bring more coverage options to its clients. The company has expanded its specialized brokerage into financial services, health and life sciences, and professional services, expanded its leadership team, and now operates with Travis Hedge as CEO and Sam Hodges as Executive Chairman.