“Lawtech Builder is more than just an accelerator; it's a programme that bridges the gap between innovative ideas and market-ready products. We're excited to see the next wave of lawtech innovators who will emerge from this programme," says Kath Warren, Head of Lawtech Programmes, LawtechUK.

Programme Overview

Lawtech Builder is a cohort-based programme tailored for individuals in the early stages of their startup journey, committed to launching a minimum viable product (MVP) in the lawtech market. The comprehensive curriculum covers essential topics, including product and customer discovery, product-to-market strategy, operations, funding, pitching, and long-term strategic development.

"Builder has given us stuff to work on for almost another year! Time which will solidify our learning and strategies. It really is 18 months’ worth of input and almost certainly even more benefit to those who haven’t, like us, previously founded a lawtech company," commented Sarah Hanfrey and Tim Suiter, FileOps.

Module examples

Understanding Problems (Week 2): Create a vision for your startup by breaking down your idea into a problem statement, understanding the Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) theory, and addressing founder bias. This session will feature a panel discussion with Becki Cassia from Transparently, a communication and collaboration platform that helps facilitate the practice of law and enables consumers to access legal expertise and Minesh Patel from Amplified Global.  Amplified Global utilises Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to make complex information such as terms and conditions and regulatory updates easier to understand and engage with.

“I am really looking forward to this session. I know how difficult it is to try and remain impartial whilst developing your MVP, especially when you have first-hand experience of the problems you are trying to address as a company. We had a doubly difficult task as we are non-lawyers and half of our target market are law firms. Hopefully some of the lessons I have learnt along the way will help other startups,” said Co-Founder and CEO Becki Cassia, Transparently.

“Really understanding and questioning the problem you're solving is key to a startup's success. You need to dig deep, ask questions, and build a framework to find answers. This is a process, and it’s really important to keep learning and challenging your ideas,” adds Minesh Patel, Founder and CEO, Amplified Global.

Understanding Legal Markets (Week 3): Define your market by identifying the size and nature of your niche within the legal industry. Learn strategies for positioning your product for large-scale impact and the essentials of innovation in a regulated market. Danae Shell from Valla, a DIY legal platform for UK workers, will deliver a three-hour workshop on this critical topic. Danae Shell, explains “The legal market is in total upheaval, which presents a huge opportunity for lawtech founders – we’ll work through how to pinpoint these new gaps in the market and position their products for success.”

The Lawtech Builder programme aims to equip participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to launch a successful lawtech startup. It offers unparalleled insights from industry experts and opportunities to engage in practical and group activities that apply session teachings.

The application window is open to 29th August 2024. The programme is designed for individuals who are ready to turn their lawtech startup idea into an MVP and are based in the UK or have a company registered in the UK.