Hiscox business insurance

Overview

Hiscox was one of the first insurers to sell professional liability online to American consultants and freelancers. Its U.S. arm, Hiscox USA, sells professional liability (E&O), general liability, business owner's policies and cyber coverage to micro and small businesses directly at hiscox.com and by phone, through digital partners, and through brokers. Behind it sits a bigger specialty operation: Hiscox's Lloyd's syndicates write U.S. excess and surplus lines business for brokers, from professional and media liability to property.

The Hiscox group was ranked No. 99 among U.S. business insurers by 2025 commercial lines direct premiums written, with $626.0 million, based on NAIC market share data. It ranked No. 7 nationally in burglary and theft insurance. Almost all of its U.S. admitted premium is other liability ($568.6 million, which is where professional, general and cyber liability are reported), plus inland marine $30.2 million, burglary and theft $25.8 million and fidelity $1.5 million.

The NAIC group consists of one company, Hiscox Insurance Company Inc., a Chicago-domiciled admitted insurer. That figure leaves out what Hiscox writes in the U.S. through Lloyd's Syndicate 33 and Syndicate 3624, which are non-admitted surplus lines insurers. In its own accounts, Hiscox USA wrote $961.5 million of premium in 2025 across both. Hiscox USA is part of Hiscox Ltd, a Bermuda-headquartered specialist insurer listed on the London Stock Exchange (HSX). Mary Boyd is CEO of Hiscox USA; Aki Hussain has been Group CEO since January 2022.

History

Hiscox traces its roots to a single Lloyd's underwriter in 1901 and marked 125 years in 2026. For most of the 20th century it insured American clients only through Lloyd's, in classes such as fine art, kidnap and ransom, and high-value homes. In 2006 it opened its own U.S. insurance company. In 2009 Kevin Kerridge moved to New York to build a digital small business operation, and in 2010 Hiscox USA opened its Atlanta office, which handles claims. Selling E&O and general liability directly to small businesses online, years before NEXT or biBERK, made Hiscox one of the first carriers to build a national direct small commercial brand.

Recent milestones:

• 2021 — Hiscox moved older U.S. liabilities, including most of Hiscox USA's surplus lines broker business from Syndicate 3624 for 2019 and prior years, to Enstar in a loss portfolio transfer covering about $520 million of reserves. The U.S. broker book then shrank for several years before returning to growth in 2025.
• August 2025 — Hiscox agreed to buy Corix Insurance Services, the MGA built by Vouch, together with Vouch Insurance Company, and signed a multi-year distribution deal with Vouch, which remains an independent broker. The Corix purchase closed on August 11, 2025 for $59.0 million, adding broker technology and an appetite for life sciences and technology start-ups.
• 2026 — Hiscox USA added a commercial auto product underwritten by one of its digital partners, launched a partnership with a top-15 U.S. property-casualty carrier, and deployed an AI voice agent, "Sarah", in its call centers.

Business insurance products

Direct small business (hiscox.com). The core online products are written by Hiscox Insurance Company Inc.:

• Professional liability / E&O, covering claims of negligence, mistakes or missed deadlines in professional services, including work by employees and contractors (see Professional liability (E&O) insurance explained).
• General liability, with limits from $300,000 to $2 million.
• Business owner's policy, combining general liability with property and business interruption (see What is a business owner's policy (BOP)?).
• Cyber, covering breach response, lost revenue and data recovery, fraudulent payment instructions, and privacy suits and fines.

Other coverages on the site include employment practices liability, commercial property and inland marine, and short-term liability for events. Workers' compensation, umbrella and commercial auto are offered through partners rather than Hiscox paper, so check the issuing company on those declarations pages. Bundling two or more Hiscox policies earns a discount of up to 5%.

Broker business (admitted and E&S). Through retail and wholesale brokers, Hiscox USA writes professional liability, management liability, cyber, media and entertainment, kidnap and ransom, and casualty for small to mid-size accounts, on Hiscox Insurance Company Inc. or on Lloyd's Syndicates 33 and 3624 when a risk needs the surplus lines market (see excess and surplus lines insurance explained and admitted vs non-admitted insurers: what the difference means). In 2026 it introduced an AI-assisted submission-to-bind process for simpler broker business.

Hiscox London Market writes bigger-ticket U.S. risks through Lloyd's, including property, flood and casualty placed through London brokers.

Who it insures

The direct channel is built for very small businesses, often one-person firms: Consultant insurance, IT consultant and MSP insurance, Marketing agency insurance, Real estate agent insurance, Architect and engineer insurance, beauty and fitness professionals, cleaners and home service trades. Hiscox's retail businesses keep adding niches; 2026 launches included podcasters, online tutors and rage rooms. It is a strong fit for contract-driven service work where a client demands E&O and general liability certificates.

It is a weaker fit for heavy contracting, trucking, restaurants with liquor exposure or businesses needing large property schedules. Hiscox says it sells online in 49 states and D.C., excluding Alaska. On the broker side, the appetite favors technology, media and entertainment, life sciences start-ups and professional firms.

How to buy

Directly: quote and buy GL, professional liability, BOP and cyber online at hiscox.com or by phone at 866-283-7545 (weekdays 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET, weekends 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET). Policies and a certificate of insurance are issued online once you bind. Online buyers should read the professional services definition and exclusions on the quote, because E&O is written on a claims-made basis and a lapse can leave prior work uninsured.

Through partners: Hiscox policies are also sold by digital agencies such as Insureon and by distribution partners; in 2025 one of its largest partners opened Hiscox products to its local agents, and in 2026 Hiscox signed its first partnership in seven years with a top-15 U.S. property-casualty carrier.

Through brokers: brokers and wholesalers place the broker and E&S products. U.S. broker premium grew 0.7% in 2025 to $381.0 million and 5.2% in the first half of 2026. Direct and partnership premium grew 7.0% in 2025 to $580.5 million and 9.9% in the first half of 2026.

Claims

Report a small business claim online through Hiscox's claims form, by phone at 866-424-8508 or by mail to Hiscox Claims, 5 Concourse Parkway, Suite 2150, Atlanta, GA 30328. Have your policy number, photos, correspondence and any legal papers ready. A specialist usually responds within one business day. For liability and E&O claims, report a demand letter or suit promptly: claims-made policies require notice within the policy period or the reporting window. Cyber policyholders get breach response services and free employee training.

Financial strength and ratings

In November 2025 AM Best affirmed the A (Excellent) financial strength rating and "a+" issuer credit rating of Hiscox Insurance Company Inc., along with Hiscox's Bermuda, U.K. and Guernsey insurers, all with stable outlooks, and the "bbb+" rating of Hiscox Ltd. AM Best assesses the group's balance sheet as very strong. E&S policies written through Syndicates 33 and 3624 rely on the financial strength of Lloyd's as a whole.

Hiscox Ltd reported record 2025 profit before tax of $732.7 million on $4.98 billion of insurance contract written premium, an undiscounted combined ratio of 87.8% and a Bermuda solvency ratio of 233%. In the first half of 2026 premium grew 10.1% to $3.24 billion with a 90.4% combined ratio, and Hiscox USA grew 8.1% to $535.9 million.

Strengths and weaknesses

Hiscox is one of the most established direct small business brands in the U.S., backed by a profitable, well-capitalized specialty group. It is narrow by design: excellent for professional and service risks, limited for anything heavier.

• Strengths: AM Best A (Excellent), affirmed November 2025, and record group profits in 2025. Twenty years of online professional liability and GL for micro businesses, with fast quoting and certificates. A specialist appetite for professional, media and technology risks, plus Lloyd's E&S capacity for brokers. Growth investment in the U.S., including the Corix acquisition and new carrier partnerships.
• Weaknesses: Workers' comp, umbrella and commercial auto come from partner carriers, not Hiscox. Poor fit for construction, trucking and property-heavy risks. The U.S. broker book shrank for years after the 2021 reserve transfer and is only now growing again. No online sales in Alaska.

How to contact Hiscox