☰A cell captive is a sponsored insurance company divided into legally separate cells, each holding one participant's premiums, losses, and capital. Statutes in most major domiciles wall each cell off, so a claim against another participant cannot reach your assets.
Renting a cell is the fastest, cheapest entry into captive insurance. There is no company to incorporate, license, or capitalize, setup can take weeks rather than months, and the sponsor carries the licensing and governance load. The cost is control and ownership. The sponsor sets the rules, fees continue for as long as you participate, and a cell's flexibility on coverage, investments, and surplus is narrower than an owned captive's.
Cells work well as a proving ground. Companies often test captive economics in a cell for a year or two, then move the program into a single-parent captive once the premium and the appetite justify it.