Nico Laqua
| Nico Laqua | |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur, software executive |
|---|---|
| Known for | Co-founder and CEO of Corgi Insurance |
Nico Laqua is an American entrepreneur and technology executive who is the co-founder, chief executive officer (CEO), and chief technology officer (CTO) of Corgi Insurance, a San Francisco-based full-stack insurance carrier that provides commercial insurance products for startup and technology companies. Corgi participated in Y Combinator's Summer 2024 batch.[1]
Career
Prior to founding Corgi Insurance, Laqua founded and served as CEO of Basket Entertainment, a gaming publisher, which he led from approximately 2020 to 2024.[2]
In 2024, Laqua co-founded Corgi Insurance alongside Emily Yuan. The company describes itself as an "AI financial infrastructure company" and operates as a full-stack insurance carrier, meaning it underwrites and issues policies directly rather than acting as a broker or intermediary.[3] The company's model is designed to reduce the number of handoffs in the insurance process and provide faster quoting and modular coverage tailored to the operations of startup companies. Corgi received regulatory approval to operate as a licensed insurance carrier in 2025.
In January 2026, Corgi announced it had raised $108 million in funding and launched as an AI-driven full-stack carrier for startups.[4] The company also launched a Startup Program offering instant quoting for technology companies.[5] Additionally, the company announced plans to open a 24/7 café in San Francisco's Financial District.[6]
Laqua was featured in a September 2025 Wall Street Journal article profiling young AI startup founders in San Francisco and their intensive work habits.[7] In October 2025, he appeared in a fireside chat titled "AI-Native Insurance: Reimagining Insurance Foundations" at the Fellows Forum, hosted by Alex Konrad of Upstarts Media.
References
- ↑ "Corgi Insurance – Y Combinator". 'Y Combinator}'. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
- ↑ "Nico Laqua – Crunchbase". 'Crunchbase}'. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
- ↑ "Corgi Insurance". 'Corgi Insurance}'. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
- ↑ "Corgi Raises $108M, Launches AI-Driven Full-Stack Carrier for Startups". 'Insurance Innovation Reporter}'. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
- ↑ "Corgi Insurance Launches Startup Program With Instant Quoting for Tech Companies". 'Fintech Finance}'. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
- ↑ "A 24/7 cafe is coming to San Francisco from an unlikely source: an insurance startup". 'The Business Journals}'. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
- ↑ "AI Startup Founders Tout a Winning Formula—No Booze, No Sleep, No Fun". 'The Wall Street Journal}'. Retrieved 2026-03-18.