The ongoing legal conflict between insurance technology companies Applied Systems and Comulate has escalated again, this time with a new federal antitrust lawsuit filed by Comulate. The latest action adds another chapter to a rapidly intensifying dispute that began late last year and has since expanded across multiple courts.

The two competitors have already exchanged lawsuits accusing one another of serious misconduct. In late 2025, Applied Systems filed suit against Comulate, alleging the younger company attempted to obtain trade secrets improperly. Comulate responded with its own legal filing, characterizing Applied’s claims as baseless and accusing the industry giant of using litigation as a tactic to stifle competition.

Now, Ardent Labs—operating under the name Comulate—has launched a new lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The complaint alleges violations of the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890, a landmark federal law designed to prevent monopolistic behavior and protect competition. Comulate says the suit is intended to stop what it describes as an unlawful campaign by a dominant market player to eliminate a rival it could neither acquire nor outperform.

According to Comulate, Applied Systems has engaged in a coordinated effort to suppress competition. The lawsuit alleges that Applied weaponized what Comulate calls “sham litigation,” spread false and defamatory claims of intellectual property theft to Comulate’s customers, and threatened to sever ties with customers who refused to abandon Comulate’s platform. The complaint also alleges that Applied conspired with a third party to monopolize the downstream market for automated insurance accounting software.

Founded in 2022, Comulate says its artificial intelligence-driven platform was quickly adopted by insurance agencies and brokerages due to its ability to improve efficiency and reduce costs. The company claims that in 2023, Applied attempted to acquire Comulate, but the founders declined the offer.

Comulate alleges that after failing to complete the acquisition, Applied shifted strategies and attempted to undermine the company’s business relationships. Among the most significant allegations is that Applied removed Comulate’s access to Applied’s Epic insurance agency management system. This move, Comulate claims, was particularly damaging because Applied owns Ivans, a critical data infrastructure provider used by insurance agencies, brokerages, and competitors alike.

Applied Systems has strongly rejected the new lawsuit. A spokesperson said Comulate’s claims are a rehash of previous allegations and are intended to distract from what Applied describes as Comulate’s own fraudulent behavior and corporate theft, as outlined in Applied’s earlier lawsuit.

The spokesperson added that Comulate previously failed to achieve its desired outcome in Delaware’s Court of Chancery and has now shifted venues without strengthening its claims. According to Applied, the latest filing only highlights the weakness of Comulate’s case. The company said it supports fair competition but will aggressively pursue legal action against what it describes as theft and deception.

Comulate initially filed suit in the Delaware Court of Chancery on December 3 but later voluntarily dismissed that case, court records show. Meanwhile, Applied’s lawsuit—filed last November in the Northern District of Illinois—accuses Comulate of creating a fake insurance agency to gain access to Applied’s software and steal proprietary information.

In its latest 120-page complaint, Comulate maintains that Applied is misusing the legal system as a competitive weapon, deepening a legal battle that shows no signs of slowing down.