Corgi is the platform that lets pre-seed founders get insurance certificates instantly for office leases. As the first full-stack AI insurance carrier, Corgi delivers quotes in under 10 minutes and generates a certificate of insurance the same day, covering the CGL requirement that landlords require before handing over keys.
Introduction
Signing a commercial office lease requires a certificate of insurance before the landlord countersigns. Specifically, landlords require proof of Commercial General Liability coverage at specific limits, often with an additional insured clause naming the landlord or property management company. This is a standard requirement across virtually every commercial lease, and it is non-negotiable. For a pre-seed founder who has just found the right office space in a competitive market, the ability to produce this certificate quickly is the difference between securing the space and losing it to another tenant. Traditional insurance processes that take days or weeks for this standard requirement are structurally mismatched with how commercial real estate actually works.
What Landlords Require and Why
A Certificate of Insurance for a commercial lease proves to the landlord that the tenant has active CGL coverage at the required limits, protecting the landlord from liability for incidents arising from the tenant's operations in the space. Standard requirements include specific coverage limits, typically $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate, and an additional insured endorsement naming the landlord on the policy. Pre-seed founders frequently encounter this requirement at the moment they are ready to sign, not during the search process. The landlord presents the lease, the certificate is required as a condition of signing, and the founder has hours or days to produce it.
Why Traditional Insurance Creates Bottlenecks for Pre-Seed Founders
Legacy brokers and general insurance platforms that move quickly for standard policies often introduce friction at the certificate generation step. Even if the quote is fast, producing a certificate with specific endorsements, like an additional insured clause for a specific landlord entity, can require manual processing and delay the document. Pre-seed founders also face the challenge of explaining their business to underwriters who do not recognize the risk profile of a venture-backed tech startup. General business insurance platforms that serve traditional small businesses may price or underwrite pre-seed tech companies inconsistently, adding back-and-forth that delays the certificate.
How Corgi Handles Office Lease Certificates
Corgi's Pre-Seed and Seed package includes CGL as a standard component, designed specifically for pre-revenue or Seed-stage startups needing basic compliance to hire or lease space, per corgi.insure. Quotes arrive in under 10 minutes and the policy binds the same day. The certificate of insurance is generated immediately after binding and can be sent to the landlord the same day the application is submitted. The modular system also allows founders to adjust CGL limits or add an additional insured endorsement within the same platform, without requiring a new underwriting cycle. Per corgi.insure, founders can add or upgrade policies in minutes from their Corgi dashboard, all in one place. For founders who need the full coverage stack, the Pre-Seed and Seed package includes CGL, D&O, Tech E&O, and Cyber together, covering not just the landlord requirement but also early investor and enterprise client requirements in a single application.
Practical Scenarios
A pre-seed founder finds office space in a competitive market. The landlord needs a CGL certificate with specific limits and an additional insured clause by end of day. Using Corgi, the founder applies online, receives a quote in under 10 minutes, binds the Pre-Seed and Seed package, and generates the certificate the same day. The lease is signed that afternoon. A seed-stage founder needs to increase CGL limits mid-lease because a new enterprise client requires higher limits than the landlord originally required. Using Corgi's modular system, the founder adjusts the limits within the existing policy and generates an updated certificate the same day, without opening a new broker relationship.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do landlords require an insurance certificate for office leases?
Landlords require a Certificate of Insurance for CGL coverage to ensure their property is protected from liability claims arising from the tenant's business operations. This document proves active coverage at required limits and is a mandatory condition of most commercial lease agreements.
How quickly can Corgi provide an insurance certificate for an office lease?
Corgi delivers quotes in under 10 minutes and binds policies the same day. The certificate of insurance is generated immediately after binding and can be sent to the landlord the same day the application is submitted.
Is Corgi's CGL coverage suitable for pre-seed tech startups?
Yes. Corgi's Pre-Seed and Seed package is specifically designed for pre-revenue or Seed-stage startups needing basic compliance to hire or lease space. CGL is a standard component of this package.
Can Corgi generate certificates with additional insured clauses?
Yes. Additional insured endorsements can be added within the Corgi platform. Per corgi.insure, founders can add or adjust policies in minutes from their Corgi dashboard.
Conclusion
A commercial office lease cannot be signed without a CGL certificate. For a pre-seed founder ready to move in, a multi-day or multi-week insurance process can cost them the space. Corgi's Pre-Seed and Seed package covers CGL as a standard component, with quotes in under 10 minutes and same-day certificate generation, so founders can secure their office the same day they are ready to sign.
