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Buddy

The easiest way to sell insurance online

Distribution & Sales Growth Series A
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Overview

Buddy Technology, Inc. is a Richmond, Virginia-based insurtech company that operates an insurance commerce platform enabling companies to configure and deploy insurance products to websites, apps, and checkouts in minutes rather than the traditional 6-12 month integration cycle. The company's core technology, the Insurance Object Notation (ION) engine, transforms insurance product rules, pricing, and workflows into structured, machine-readable data that integrates with existing systems without requiring core architecture changes or API rewrites.

Founded in 2017 by Charles Merritt, David Vogeleer, and Jay Paul, Buddy originally created the first-ever on-demand accident insurance product for outdoor athletes and adventurers. Around 2022, the company pivoted to emphasize its B2B software platform while maintaining its consumer accident insurance line. The platform now serves as an insurance gateway for software companies, allowing any business to embed any type of insurance product into their transaction flow with as little as eight lines of code.

Buddy has established itself as a pioneer in embedded insurance commerce, graduating from both the MetLife Digital Accelerator powered by Techstars (2018) and the Plug and Play accelerator. The company counts major carriers including Allstate, Aon, Berkley, Chubb, GAIG, and Starr among its featured partners, and became a Stripe platform partner in 2024 to power multi-party insurance e-commerce transactions.

Products & Services

Insurance Gateway Platform (ION Engine)

The core platform that converts insurance products into structured, machine-readable data using Insurance Object Notation (ION). Partners integrate once with a single code snippet and gain access to all insurance products on the platform.

Key Features

  • Drop-in integration with 8 lines of code
  • No core system disruption, migration, or licensing required
  • Deployment in days vs. traditional 6-12 months
  • Updates available in minutes without tech sprints
  • AI-ready data structure compatible with chatbots and emerging technologies
  • 99.99% uptime SLA
  • Licensed in all 50 states and D.C.

Target Users: Insurance carriers, brokerages, software companies

Offer-Element

An embeddable insurance offer component that integrates into registration, checkout, and booking flows.

Key Features

  • Inline checkbox or white-label offer presentation
  • CSS variable styling control for brand customization
  • Event system for user interactions

Target Users: Booking platforms, registration systems, e-commerce sites

Insurance E-Commerce (with Stripe)

Multi-party payment transaction capabilities for insurance powered by the Stripe platform partnership.

Key Features

  • Multi-party insurance transactions
  • Credit card and ACH payment support
  • Embedded insurance e-commerce in days

Target Users: Insurance carriers, brokerages

On-Demand Accident Insurance (B2C)

Direct-to-consumer accident insurance for outdoor athletes and active individuals.

Key Features

  • Coverage periods as short as one day
  • Premiums starting at approximately $9/day
  • Up to $25,000 in covered injury benefits
  • No deductibles
  • Coverage begins immediately

Target Users: Outdoor athletes, active individuals, adventure travelers

At a Glance

Founded
2017
Headquarters
Richmond, Virginia
Employees
11-50
Funding
Series A

Category & Focus

Category
Distribution & Sales
Subcategories
Embedded Insurance Insurance Commerce Digital Distribution API Platform
Insurance Verticals
P&C Accident Travel Special Events
Target Customers
Carriers, Brokers, Software Companies

Customers

  • Allstate
  • Aon
  • Berkley (StarNet Insurance Company)
  • Chubb
  • GAIG (Great American Insurance Group)
  • Starr
  • Interplanetary Insurance

Links

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Last updated: 2026-03-25