InsurTechNY opens MGA Lab

InsurTech NY has opened applications for its 2026 MGA Lab, a program aimed at startups building new managing general agencies or expanding existing ones into additional insurance products. The organization says applications will remain open until July 10 and that the 2026 cohort will be capped at 12 companies. The MGA Lab page describes the program as a three-day in-person program in New York City with three months of advisory support. InsurTech NY posted the announcement on May 17 and directs applicants to its website. ### What exactly is InsurTech NY opening here? InsurTech NY is opening its 2026 MGA Lab application cycle, not a general accelerator or conference registration. The program is positioned for companies that want to operate as MGAs — businesses that design, distribute or underwrite insurance products with delegated authority from carriers. The MGA Lab page says the program is intended to support “both new MGAs becoming fully operational and existing MGAs build & launch new products on an accelerated timeline.” The same page says ideal participants include MGA startups, SaaS or data platform companies, and digital brokers, suggesting the program is also targeting insurance technology firms that want to move into the MGA model. ### Why does the 12-company cap matter? The number is small by design. InsurTech NY says the 2026 cohort will include 12 participants, which makes the application window a selective intake rather than a broad community event. Past cohorts have run at that size. InsurTech NY’s 2023 Digital MGA Lab materials listed a cohort of 12 companies, and its 2025 cohort announcement also named 12 MGA Lab participants. That history suggests the organization is keeping the lab in a workshop format centered on direct access to mentors, capacity providers and distribution partners, rather than expanding it into a larger classroom-style program. ### What do participants get if they are selected? The 2026 MGA Lab page says selected companies get three days in New York City and dedicated advisory support over three months. The program is organized around model building, capacity and distribution. The curriculum description is unusually specific. InsurTech NY says participants work with actuaries, underwriters and regulatory attorneys on product models; meet startup-friendly fronting carriers, reinsurers and program administrators on a dedicated capacity day; and work with retail and wholesale brokers on distribution. The page says the program brings together 20 startup-friendly fronts, reinsurers and program administrators in one day. A 2025 participant-information page gives a clearer picture of how that looks in practice. The agenda included sessions on admitted versus excess-and-surplus products, licensing requirements for MGAs, regulator expectations, actuarial modeling, underwriting guidelines, capacity sourcing, third-party administrator contracts and distribution strategy. ### Who is InsurTech NY putting in front of founders? InsurTech NY lists mentors and past participating carriers and brokers on the MGA Lab page, though it does not present a full 2026 roster yet. Named mentors on the page include Derek Brigham, co-founder and chief operating officer of Clearcover; John Kassar, chief executive of Constellation RE; and Nicholas Scott, managing director and general counsel at Everspan Group. The organization says past program participants have included more than 20 reinsurers, carriers and brokers across property and casualty, life and annuity, and specialty lines. That matters because MGA formation often depends on securing carrier capacity and broker distribution at the same time, two relationships that can take months or longer to build independently. ### Where does this fit in InsurTech NY’s broader lineup? InsurTech NY says on its website that it runs public events, a corporate innovation program, a competition, an accelerator, the MGA Lab and a venture fund. The MGA Lab sits alongside those offerings as a more specialized track for companies pursuing delegated-authority insurance businesses. The group’s August 2025 cohort announcement described the MGA Lab as a program that gives founders tools to build and scale digital MGAs, including access to mentorship, capacity and distribution. That framing is consistent with the 2026 application page, which emphasizes operational launch and product expansion rather than general startup coaching. July 10 is the application deadline for the 2026 cohort, according to the MGA Lab page, and InsurTech NY says review and acceptance will take place in July and August. The same page says the program’s pre-program calendar begins with applications opening on May 5, followed by cohort review after the deadline, with selected companies then moving into the New York-based sessions and advisory period later in the cycle.