SeedLegals

A London platform that helps start-ups raise investment, grant share options and manage their ownership records online.

About SeedLegals

SeedLegals is a UK company that makes the legal side of starting and growing a business easier. A new company that wants to raise money from investors, give staff share options, apply for the SEIS and EIS tax-relief schemes (which make investing in young companies more attractive) or keep track of who owns what (a cap table) can do it online instead of paying a law firm for every document. It says it has helped over 60,000 companies and that 1 in 3 early-stage funding rounds close on its platform.

Its founders are Anthony Rose, a serial entrepreneur, and Laurent Laffy, an angel investor, which means someone who backs very young companies with their own money. According to the company's About page they met at a party in Rome. Both were tired of paying lawyers high fees for near-identical documents in every funding round, and of rounds that took months to close. They launched the platform in 2016. The headquarters is at 100 Bunhill Row, London, and it also operates in the US, Ireland and France. It says it has 160 employees.

We did not find a formal mission statement. The About page says the company is proud to have 'transformed the way companies start, grow and scale', which is the nearest thing to a stated goal, and it lists no values. The aim that runs through the founding story is cutting the cost and delay of legal paperwork so founders can spend time building their business.

Its products include legal documents for funding rounds, share option schemes (including the tax-advantaged EMI scheme), SEIS and EIS applications and cap table management. It also has an AI assistant called Lawrence that can draft documents from plain-language requests. The company says it is the UK number one for funding rounds, cap tables and share option schemes; that is its own claim.

For working life, the company's careers pitch is 'Don't work in just any startup. Work in the company powering all startups', which is its own description. The pages we read did not describe the culture or any graduate scheme. A London job listing seen earlier was for a customer experience role aimed at law, finance or STEM graduates, though it was undated. That suggests people with a legal or business degree can find a way in on the customer side, but check the careers page for current roles, pay and requirements.

What they do

• {'desc': 'Online tools to agree, negotiate and sign investment deals.', 'title': 'Fundraising rounds'}
• {'desc': 'Setting up employee share option schemes, including EMI.', 'title': 'Share options'}
• {'desc': 'Help applying for investor tax relief.', 'title': 'SEIS and EIS'}
• {'desc': 'Tracking who owns what, plus an AI assistant that drafts documents.', 'title': 'Cap table and Lawrence AI'}

Key facts

• Launched 2016; founders Anthony Rose and Laurent Laffy, who met at a party in Rome
• Headquarters 100 Bunhill Row, London; also US, Ireland, France
• 160 employees and 60,000+ companies helped (own claim)
• Closes 1 in 3 early-stage funding rounds (own claim)

Website: seedlegals.com