Applied Systems vs. Comulate

When a monopolist can't acquire you, they try to annihilate you.

On November 21, 2025, Applied Systems launched a coordinated campaign to destroy a competitor it couldn't buy and couldn't beat. They accused Comulate of theft, threatened customers into abandoning it, and steered them toward a company their own executive had called "not competitive."

Learn moreUpdates & Court Filings
What Happened

Applied systems dominates market for AMS software among enterprise-level brokerages—81% of the market.¶52

Epic couldn’t keep up with one of Applied’s largest customer’s needs.  Screens took five minutes to load. Month-end closes were "disastrous." The customer turned to Comulate.¶215

But connecting to Epic required Applied's help and Applied had been dragging its feet for weeks. After the customer escalated to Applied's President, Applied committed to deliver the paperwork on November 21.¶217–218

That paperwork never came. ¶218

Instead, Applied launched a frivolous, surprise lawsuit on Comulate¶233

Within hours of filing a baseless lawsuit, Applied threatened its own customers—accusing Comulate of "theft" and warning they may face legal action if they continued using Comulate.¶¶233, 235

The Pattern
ACQUIRED + KILLED
TechCanary
TechCanary was a promising insurance AMS gaining traction among large brokerages. Applied paid nearly 8x revenue to acquire it. ¶91

As one former TechCanary user explained: "Applied purchased [TechCanary] and shut it down six weeks after we launched the new management system." ¶92
Applied spent $80 million to eliminate an up-and-coming competitor.  ¶92
TARGETED + BANNED
ePayPolicy
Before Applied developed Applied Pay, it recommended ePayPolicy to customers.  ¶167
When ePayPolicy refused to be acquired, Applied kicked them out of the industry's flagship conference and began falsely claiming ePayPolicy's use of the SDK created "security risks" that would be "eased up" with Applied Pay. ¶167

SUED + FIGHTING BACK
Comulate
Applied attempted to acquire Comulate repeatedly—in 2023, 2024, and 2025. Comulate's founders refused. ¶¶ 2, 134, 137, 159, and 197
Applied's President warned there would be "friction that you guys are going to feel" and launched a coordinated campaign to destroy them. ¶¶ 193, 364.
Comulate is fighting back.

Applied promised an "open platform."

Then it closed the door.

For years, Applied marketed Epic as an "open ecosystem" where third-party applications would compete on equal footing with Applied's own products. Customers adopted Epic believing they could choose the best technology partners. Developers invested in building on the platform. ¶¶ 93, 95, 102

After Applied's lawsuit, customers felt trapped...

"Obviously, they've got the stranglehold on the industry."¶237

“Moving away from an agency management system takes years.” ¶57

Then something shifted...

"[T]hey are pushing us to use Ascend which is weird to me." ¶277

"Word on the street is Epic will close the link with Comulate and require all users to partner with Ascend..." ¶277

Read: Applied's Conspiracy to Monopolize →
The Receipts
"They are very, very scared of [Comulate]. [Comulate is] #1 on their list of competition."
Speaker
Company Role
Cu
News

Updates & Court Filings

Comulate has consolidated its litigation against Applied Systems in federal court in the Northern District of Illinois. In December 2025, the Delaware Court of Chancery granted emergency protection for Comulate's customers. Below are the key filings and updated in the case.

Comulate Files Federal Antitrust Lawsuit Against Applied Systems Alleging Conspiracy to Monopolize
January 20, 2026
Complaint Alleges Applied Conspired with Ascend to Eliminate Competition, Harming Customers and Millions of Policyholders

Complaint Alleges Applied Conspired with Ascend to Eliminate Competition, Harming Customers and Millions of Policyholders

Comulate Wins Court Order Protecting Customers
December 16, 2025
Court Temporarily Enjoins Applied from Interrupting Customers’ Use and Onboarding of Comulate; Denies Applied’s $10M Bond Request

Court Temporarily Enjoins Applied from Interrupting Customers’ Use and Onboarding of Comulate; Denies Applied’s $10M Bond Request

Comulate Files Lawsuit Against Applied Systems, Seeks Immediate Court Order to Protect Customers
December 3, 2025
Complaint Exposes Long-Running, “Antitrust-Violative” Campaign to Eliminate Competitor It Could Not Acquire or Outcompete

Complaint Exposes Long-Running, “Antitrust-Violative” Campaign to Eliminate Competitor It Could Not Acquire or Outcompete

Applied Systems Threatens its Customers, Files Baseless Lawsuit After Flagship Clients Defect to Comulate
November 24, 2025
Complaint Exposes Long-Running, “Antitrust-Violative” Campaign to Eliminate Competitor It Could Not Acquire or Outcompete

Complaint Exposes Long-Running, “Antitrust-Violative” Campaign to Eliminate Competitor It Could Not Acquire or Outcompete

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