Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs Riskcube: Commercial Crime Insurance

Startups get a roughly 10-minute intake from RiskCube, a broker aiming for proof of coverage in about 24 hours; Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance's combined portfolio form names private companies with $10 million or more in revenue as targets.

Van Ness Partners presents a practical comparison of source materials relevant to financial crime exposures.Research updated 2026-09-30

What Are the Key Differences Between Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance and RiskCube Crime Insurance?

Form and Insured Crime Scenarios

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance includes Commercial Crime in Executive First; RiskCube describes a brokered startup policy covering losses from employee theft, fraud, forgery, and social engineering. RiskCube says it compares carrier options rather than underwriting, and it does not name those carriers. Startups should obtain the proposed insurer and form before comparing RiskCube’s placement with BHSI’s portfolio policy. [1] [5]

Eligibility, Limits, and Service

RiskCube positions crime for startups handling client funds, payment data, or distributed teams and describes a roughly ten-minute digital intake. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance targets private companies with at least $10 million revenue and publishes portfolio limits up to $50 million. Confirm appetite and issued limits; RiskCube’s stated aim of proof within about 24 hours does not establish when coverage binds. [1] [5]

What Should You Confirm in Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance and RiskCube Crime Insurance Quotes?

  • Ask RiskCube which third-party carrier and crime form will be quoted, and whether employee and social-engineering losses share a sublimit.
  • Ask Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance whether its account threshold and portfolio structure fit the startup’s revenue and ownership.

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance names crime within its combined private-company policy; RiskCube brokers startup crime coverage with a digital intake and unnamed carrier options.

Sources consulted

  1. 01
    Executive First Private Company Portfolio

    Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance · Product Highlights, lines 11–15: D&O, EPL, fiduciary, Commercial Crime and Employed Lawyers in one comprehensive form; shared or separate limits up to $50 million; EPL First HR resources and attorney helpline. Top Targets, lines 16–25: private companies with at least $10 million revenue and listed industries. Reopened 2026-09-30. · accessed 2026-09-30

  2. 02
    Commercial Insurance Guide

    California Department of Insurance · Crime · accessed 2026-09-16

  3. 03
    Social Engineering Fraud Insurance

    Chubb · Opening; coverage highlights · accessed 2026-09-16

  4. 04
    Disclosures & Compensation

    RiskCube · Section 1, Entity and Licensing Disclosure: "RiskCube is not an insurance carrier and does not underwrite insurance. Insurance coverage is offered, underwritten, and issued by third-party insurance carriers" · accessed 2026-09-23

  5. 05
    Startup Insurance Coverage

    RiskCube · Commercial Crime card: "Protects your startup from financial losses caused by employee theft, fraud, forgery, and social engineering attacks. Essential for startups handling client funds, payment data, or operating with a distributed team"; catalogue intro and process steps · accessed 2026-09-23

  6. 06
    Crime Terms and Conditions

    The Travelers Companies, Inc. · I.A–G, printed/PDF pages 1–4; III.RR, printed/PDF p.13; V.B.1–2, printed/PDF pp.18–20; Consideration, printed/PDF p.1; III.P p.8; V.A.3 pp.16–17; V.A.4 p.17; V.B.3 p.20; I.A.3 p.1; III.C p.7; III.S pp.8–9; III.II and III.KK p.12; III.QQ p.13; V.A.5 pp.17–18 (printed/PDF pages); IV.J–O, printed/PDF pages 14–15 · accessed 2026-09-16

  7. 07
    Crime Non-Financial Applications and Forms

    Travelers · Opening paragraph; Sample Policy Forms · accessed 2026-09-16

  8. 08
    Commercial Crime Coverage Application

    Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of America · I–III pages 1–2; IX–XI pages 3–4; V–VII, printed/PDF pages 2–3 · accessed 2026-09-16

Crime coverage

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance

  • role: BHSI describes Executive First Private Company Portfolio as one comprehensive form combining D&O, EPL, fiduciary, Commercial Crime and employed-lawyer insurance. Portfolio marketing establishes a listed product structure, not a buyer’s entitlement or standalone availability.company-reportedSource ↗
  • eligibility: BHSI identifies private companies with at least $10 million in revenue among the portfolio’s target accounts. Portfolio-level target, not a guarantee that a particular applicant qualifies for the crime component.company-reportedSource ↗
  • limits: The portfolio page advertises shared or separate limits up to $50 million. This is a portfolio-wide figure, not a crime-specific limit; the page does not say how limits would be allocated on a specific policy.company-reportedSource ↗
  • coverage: The portfolio page specifically names Commercial Crime as one component of the comprehensive form. The page names the line but does not state its insuring agreements, coverage triggers or relationship to fidelity bonds.company-reportedSource ↗

RiskCube

  • role: RiskCube brokers commercial crime coverage as one of the lines in its startup insurance catalogue, comparing carrier options rather than underwriting the policy itself. Catalogue coverage-type list and lead paragraph; RiskCube did not publish a separate commercial crime landing page as of 2026-09-23.company-reportedSource ↗
  • insurer: RiskCube's disclosures say it is not an insurance carrier and that its insurance products, including commercial crime, are underwritten and issued by third-party carriers it does not name. Company-wide entity and licensing disclosure; no carrier is identified for commercial crime specifically.company-reportedSource ↗
  • coverage: RiskCube describes commercial crime coverage as protecting a startup against financial losses caused by employee theft, fraud, forgery and social-engineering attacks. Catalogue Commercial Crime card summary.company-reportedSource ↗
  • eligibility: RiskCube calls commercial crime coverage "essential for startups handling client funds, payment data, or operating with a distributed team." Catalogue Commercial Crime card.company-reportedSource ↗
  • limits: RiskCube's catalogue does not publish specific limit or retention amounts for commercial crime. Catalogue as read on 2026-09-23; a dedicated commercial crime page was not available to check for a limits table.not-disclosedSource ↗
  • application: RiskCube describes a roughly 10-minute digital intake followed by its AI agents and licensed brokers comparing top-rated carriers, aiming for vendor-ready proof of coverage in about 24 hours across the coverage types in its catalogue, including commercial crime. Catalogue process section; the timing is a general claim about the catalogue's application flow, not commercial-crime-specific.company-reportedSource ↗
  • services: The reviewed catalogue page does not describe risk-control or other services specific to commercial crime, such as fidelity-fraud prevention programs. Catalogue as read on 2026-09-23; a dedicated commercial crime page was not available.not-foundSource ↗
  • claims: The reviewed catalogue page does not describe claims handling specific to commercial crime. Catalogue as read on 2026-09-23; a dedicated commercial crime page was not available.not-foundSource ↗

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