It’s Time To Vote: Help Pick The Startup Alley Finalists For ABA TECHSHOW
A panel of judges has whittled the applications down to 25. Now your votes will select the final 15.
Here is your chance to vote for your favorite legal technology startup. In October, we issued a call for entries for the second-annual Startup Alley, offering startups a shot at being one of 15 companies selected to face off in a pitch competition on the opening night of ABA TECHSHOW and to exhibit in a special portion of the conference’s exhibition hall.
A panel of judges has whittled the applications down to 25. Now your votes will select the final 15. The 15 startups with the most votes will get the opportunity to be featured at TECHSHOW, which will be held March 7-10, 2018, in Chicago.
Below are the contenders, listed in alphabetical order. Read their pitches, check out their websites, then vote. For those that have a demo video, I’ve included the link.
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Deadline for voting is Friday, December 8, 2017, at midnight Eastern time. Winners will be announced on Dec. 18.
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Elevator Pitch: Beagle helps companies follow their own rules or the ones set out by a regulatory agency. As companies are drowning under information, they need technology to process it in order to make the right decisions. Beagle is a technical solution to help that decision-making process and can be trained to read and understand the rules. Beagle can tell decision makers which rules apply, why and gives them suggestions. It is a decision augmentation process technology based on our property AI techniques.
How we’re unique: Beagle busts the myth of the black box in machine learning and artificial intelligence. Beagle opens up that black box and explains it to its users. Not only will Beagle tell you what it thinks, it tells you why. That is extremely powerful. Second, Beagle has the power to understand nuances in the narrative. We use a mix of small and big data approaches that are customized to individual policies of an individual organization.
Video: Beagle Smart Contract Review
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Elevator Pitch: Book-It Legal provides a web platform connecting attorneys with law students across the country for per-project legal tasks, such as research, editing, document review, and writing articles. Our company gives attorneys a way to get quick assistance and reduce costs to clients while providing students a more convenient and flexible way to gain experience and earn income.
How we’re unique: While other companies have created freelance attorney marketplaces, we are the first to focus on improving opportunities for law students and modernizing the legal clerkship. Law students need exposure to a variety of practice areas and a way to gain experience around a hectic academic schedule. Our software provides these opportunities while giving attorneys a much faster and cost-effective option for outsourcing lower-level work.
Video: To view a demo video and check out the software, you must first sign up for an attorney account.
Elevator Pitch: Technology has completely changed the user experience of many traditional services – from catching a cab to renting a car. What if I told you that same opportunity existed to change the court reporting industry? We built a proprietary tech platform from the ground up to access thousands of court reporters for services – from video to real-time reporting, all at a lower cost than the current industry providers.
How we’re unique: Our proprietary platform can send a job request to thousands of court reporters instantly, garnering a faster response with less agency fees and costs. The requests themselves are generated and accepted from a simple and proprietary website. We feature bank-grade security, outlook calendar compatibility, and everything else a modern tech service should be providing.
Video: None.
Elevator Pitch: Clause is the infrastructure for smart legal contracts. “Smart Clauses” can be added to any existing contract to make it executable in real-time. Any data source (e.g., IoT devices, web services such as accounting systems) can interface with Smart Clauses to drive execution. For example, a supply contract may use delivery data (e.g., from FedEx, freight forwarders) to determine compliance with delivery obligations, adjust pricing and credits in real-time, and update invoicing software.
How we’re unique: We have been quietly building the infrastructure for smart legal contracts from the ground up specifically for lawyers. This differentiates us from Ethereum and other smart contract systems. Lawyers can use grammar and syntax inherent in natural language and add this to existing legal contracts. The infrastructure can be used with existing tech and without the technical drawbacks of existing blockchain systems (e.g., privacy and scalability).
Video: None.
Elevator Pitch: We make it easy for law firms to get their attorneys sharing to social media. Marketing builds an email queue that is sent out to lawyers, lawyers click one button and the software schedules articles to share at the best times of day using our proprietary PeakTime A.I.
How we’re unique: Facing a cohort of professionals that are extremely resistant to change, we have embedded social media activity in the email activity of the lawyers. The days of copying and pasting links are over, instead lawyers can click a single button and have articles scheduled to be shared to their individual LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook accounts. What makes it completely unique is the level of simplicity that is unmatched by other similar products from outside the legal industry.
Video: ClearView Social Explained
Elevator Pitch: DataNovo offers a SaaS platform that leverages AI and machine learning to identify potential patent infringers and infringing products, offer keyword-less prior art searches, and deliver business-centric patent analytics for every U.S. patent. With DataNovo, businesses are able to secure new licensing opportunities, obtain stronger, more defensible patents, challenge frivolous patent lawsuits, and make informed strategic decisions based on sound business intelligence.
How we’re unique: DataNovo’s SaaS platform primarily focuses on minimizing costs and shortening delays for patent owners in securing potential licensing opportunities and monetizing key IP assets as well as for innovative businesses in exploring undiscovered IP licensing deals to complement their new and existing product offerings.
Video: DataNovo Product Demo
Elevator Pitch: Digitory Legal helps law firms and in-house legal departments easily and accurately predict, price, and manage legal matters. Clients save money and promote accountability with precise legal budgets; automated accrual management features; and intuitive RFP tools. Law firms reduce overhead and increase profitability with time-saving project management solutions; task-level data; and clearly scoped, accurate budgets that will strengthen attorney-client relationships.
How we’re unique: We help lawyers and legal departments succeed in a modern legal market that is focused on efficiency and is moving to alternative fee arrangements and budget-based pricing. We are also centralizing the task-level data, budgets, project plans, and accrual estimates needed to manage matters effectively from disparate Excel spreadsheets into one system of record that can be used collaboratively by law firms and clients.
Video: Digitory Legal Demo Video
Directive Communication Systems
Elevator Pitch: Technology has made lives easier, however, for trusts and estates it has created a growing $7 trillion dollar problem. Directive Communication Systems, is the first and only technology-based solution streamlining and networking digital asset and online account directives management. DCS provides an easy use to platform for identifying, organization and cataloging digital assets in preparation for estate affairs.
How we’re unique: Directive Communication Systems provides T&E lawyers with a platform for identifying, organizing and cataloging all types of digital assets and directives for managing an estate’s affairs. Account portfolios are easily created through automated means. And, DCS simplifies estate administration by communicating final wishes to site owners. DCS does not take account passwords or know its contents and is compliant to site owner terms of service agreements, privacy policies and existing statutes.
Video: Directive Communication Systems
Elevator Pitch: Do you know who opens the documents you email, how many times they were printed, or to whom they have were forwarded? DocEx protects and controls access to documents in-transit through a single, secure, easy-to-use, and cost-effective cloud-based solution. Perfect for any practice area where sensitive documents are shared with experts, co-counsel, clients, and others, DocEx users maintain full control while managing and tracking forwards, views, prints, downloads, and all other actions.
How we’re unique: We provide a single, easy-to-use, cost effective, yet multi-purpose (e.g., family law, intellectual property law, etc.) solution through SaaS platform.
Video: DocEx Videos
Elevator Pitch: Corporate litigation has seen exploding timelines and budgets over the last 25 years. ENAp delivers massive ROI by predicting litigation outcomes through an online platform that tests cases worldwide with groups of 10+ local neutrals (mediators, arbitrators, retired judges). We eliminate self-interest cognitive biases by keeping our client secret. This allows us to gather a bell-curve of unbiased predictions for likely jury/arbitration awards, settlement values, strengths, weaknesses and much more.
How we’re unique: We are the only company doing this (patent pending) and we can evaluate cases anywhere in the world (25+ languages). ENAp can change litigation as we know it by significantly altering case outcomes and timelines. This will not only help corporate clients, but we see a method of streamlining our process to increase access to justice for all case levels (and even a low-cost ADR option).
Video: Early Neutral Appraisals (Note from company: The video does not disclose the online/tech component of the company’s testing method.)
Elevator Pitch: Esquify employs machine learning technology to modernize the manual portion of legal document review. With Esquify’s productivity tech, clients gain access to automated reviewer supervision, integrated communication tools and up-to-the-minute data on all aspects of their document review including individual reviewer productivity, team performance and case projections. The tool has been shown to improve review efficiency by 25-40 percent, while driving cost savings by as much as 45 percent.
How we’re unique: Esquify is focused on making the people-portion of legal review better and more efficient. While there has be impressive focus on streamlining documents in eDiscovery, Esquify is uniquely focused on making the costly human portion of review more productive. Leveraging powerful productivity benchmarking and virtual supervision technology for on-demand attorney review, Esquify utilizes patent-pending machine learning tech to supervise teams of legal reviewers simultaneously and at scale.
Video: Esquify Explainer Video
Elevator Pitch: Evichat is a tool for lawyers to collect authenticated evidence from their clients’ mobile devices and social media accounts in an eDiscovery lite platform built specifically for mobile data where it can then be redacted and/or exported. We can also produce time-stamped web page archives with all meta data.
How we’re unique: We are the first data collection/authentication/eDiscovery company that is specifically targeting new media/data. We are also cloud-based and scalable for firms of any size.
Video: Evichat Tutorial
Elevator Pitch: Gideon is a fundamentally new way for law firms to connect, communicate with, and service clients, at scale. Gideon is an intelligent messaging platform that connects firms with their best leads, in real-time, from their website, directory profiles, and social media. Gideon learns a firm’s preferences on particular case types and to predict likely case outcomes, enabling them to deploy resources to optimum value. Built to fit existing workflows, Gideon integrates with case management software.
How we’re unique: Gideon is the first intelligent messaging system developed for law firms. Furthermore, we are building a comprehensive dataset that nobody else has: the initial state of clients and the eventual outcomes associated with provided help. This will allow lawyers to make truly intelligent judgments, not ad hoc decisions, about the clients they take on, or reject. Imagine a law firm, with the ability to predict its income for the next 1-3 years based exclusively on the intake process.
Video: None.
Elevator Pitch: In-house lawyers and human resources managers in headquarters love our workplace SaaS solution that makes labor litigation in Mexico (Latin America in the future) more collaborative, resulting in cheaper, faster outcomes. Leveraging cloud technology, labor litigators and software geniuses, we crowdsource and data-drive best timing and proposals to settle ongoing litigation.
How we’re unique: Makes in-house counsel command and control from home country all labor litigation.
Video: What is Laboralisto?
Elevator Pitch: An automated, legal assistant chatbot that can answer frequently asked questions, describe law firm services, take appointments, qualify leads and help to run your office more smoothly.
How we’re unique: LawDroid is dedicated to making high value, practical solutions for the legal industry through the use of automation and artificial technology.
Video: MeganBot Demo
Elevator Pitch: Eighty-five percent of lawyers work at small firms and do not have the administrative support or resources of big firms. As a result, they spend a lot of unbillable time managing fragmented and inefficient administrative workflows and only bill an average of two hours a day versus big firms that leverage support staff and bill an average of six hours a day. Lawyaw is a machine learning vertical SaaS company that streamlines predictable administrative tasks so that small firms can spend as more time on revenue generating activities.
How we’re unique: Lawyaw was founded by a former law firm partner and an ex-Google Search computer scientist with a PhD in artificial intelligence. We use proprietary machine learning algorithms to learn how attorneys draft documents and streamline the frustrating and fragmented legal drafting process.
Video: How Lawyaw Works.
Elevator Pitch: TurboTax for bankruptcy attorneys. NextChapter is a web application for attorneys to prepare, manage and file their bankruptcy cases online. Our unique web workflow guides attorneys through the bankruptcy process making it easier and faster to prepare cases.
How we’re unique: We are the first web-based bankruptcy software that can be used on any browser, any device, any time.
Video: NextChapter Video Tutorials
Elevator Pitch: Qualmet is a cloud-based platform used by law departments to quickly and easily measure the value of external legal service providers. The company focuses on raising the business value created between in-house and outside counsel. Through performance metrics and objective benchmarking, the company and its namesake product create an industrywide common language. Released earlier this year, the platform has been adopted by legal departments from a wide range of industries.
How we’re unique: Continuous, objective client assessment of law firms and lawyers aggregated to an industry database. Nobody else does this.
Video: Qualmet: Know Where You Stand
Elevator Pitch: “Okay Google, talk to Florida Pro Bono Matters.” Go ahead, try it on your Android. Learn firsthand how SavvySuit is pushing the legal profession forward with the creation of conversational user interfaces. One such interface is a sophisticated pro bono catalog which allows attorneys to find pro bono cases with ease. This catalog provides case descriptions aggregated from over 30 organizations, including traditional legal aids and nation-wide programs like the ABA Military Pro Bono Project.
How we’re unique: Our company is creating an ecosystem of software and hardware products with the ability to engage in conversations with their users. For three years, we’ve built technology that our clients and end-users enjoy. Our cash-flow, traction, and reputation gain ground every day. We will push legal tech into a talkative future.
Video: None.
Elevator Pitch: SimplyAgree is a signature and closing management tool for complex corporate transactions. Our web-based platform streamlines the administrative tasks of a closing — from automating signature packets to closing binders — so attorneys can focus on getting deals done and exceeding client expectations. SimplyAgree reduces these time-intensive closing processes from days to minutes, while providing the attorney with increased risk oversight and cost predictability.
How we’re unique: SimplyAgree streamlines the unique closing process of deal lawyers no matter how they choose to close. Whether using handwritten or electronic signatures, coordinating with adverse counsel or company representatives, SimplyAgree’s flexible solution makes this vetted closing process up to 75% more efficient.
Video: SimplyAgree Product Overview
Elevator Pitch: Social Evidence is a cloud-based application that quickly and accurately collects, organizes, and analyzes data from specific social media sites for named accounts and provides tools to assist the legal professional to easily search, find, and use relevant case-related information in a repeatable, admissible, and legally defensible format.
How we’re unique: Social Evidence will drastically improve and expedite the initial client assessment and social media discovery process. With the number of cases involving social media growing at an incredible rate, the need to survey and analyze social media data for use in developing a theory of a case and compelling litigation story is critical. We believe that we’ve developed a defined, repeatable, and legally defensible process to improve outcomes in discovery negotiations.
Video: Social Evidence: Overview
Elevator Pitch: Time Miner eliminates the hassle of manual, contemporaneous methods most attorneys use to keep track of billable time spent on their smartphones. Automatic, with no timers to start and stop, Time Miner captures past calls and texts with clients, and produces a report on-demand that shows your billable activity in terms of client, date and time, duration, and dollar value based on your hourly rate.
How we’re unique: There are many tools and products designed to help attorneys keep track of their time, but none that are specific for the time spent on their smartphones, and none that don’t require manual starters/stoppers.
Video: Time Miner At A Glance
Elevator Pitch: Nineteen-million American households would benefit from filing for bankruptcy and last year under half a million did. The problem is it’s too hard to file without help and few can afford the $2,000 it costs to hire a lawyer. We’ve built the first TurboTax for Chapter 7 bankruptcy to help legal aid organizations multiply the number of clients they’re able to serve with a fresh start.
How we’re unique: We’re the first TurboTax for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.
Video: None.
Voluble: Insights for Litigation
Elevator Pitch: Voluble collects and analyzes consumer posts from a broad range of online sources to generate insights specifically for litigation. Our proprietary tools and partnerships give us access to data from a comprehensive array of social media platforms, forums, e-commerce sites, and blogs. Our experienced litigation team transforms vast amounts of unstructured consumer chatter into relevant and reliable data that can be used by experts to support their opinions in affirmative or rebuttal reports.
How we’re unique: In our expert witness work, we found that existing social media analytics firms had neither the specialized expertise required to address the nuanced issues that arise in litigation nor the ability to produce analyses that meet rigorous evidentiary standards. We fill this hole in the market by creating litigation-ready evidence from the vast sea of online commentary to show what actual consumers were saying during the relevant time period. We provide evidence that complements survey evidence.
Video: None.
Elevator Pitch: VortexLegal is the Expedia for legal services – a one-stop shop where you can search for, hire, rate and review legal service providers like court reporters, interpreters and translators, private investigators etc.
How we’re unique: There is no marketplace for legal service providers so we are providing a new way to procure these services that offers more transparency in pricing and allows small and medium sized operators to compete with national service providers.
Video: None.
Robert Ambrogi is a Massachusetts lawyer and journalist who has been covering legal technology and the web for more than 20 years, primarily through his blog LawSites.com. Former editor-in-chief of several legal newspapers, he is a fellow of the College of Law Practice Management and an inaugural Fastcase 50 honoree. He can be reached by email at [email protected], and you can follow him on Twitter (@BobAmbrogi).
