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More than a year after its UK debut, Sydney-based legal technology company Sprintlaw has ramped up its international ambitions by expanding its services to startups and small businesses in New Zealand.
Founded in 2017 by Alex Solo and Tomoyuki Hachigo, who won the legal category at the 2021 Sydney Young Entrepreneur Awards, Sprintlaw has developed custom-made bots to streamline legal services and offer a cost-effective alternative for budding entrepreneurs.
The online-only company offers fixed-fee packages that cover services like business set up, business structuring, contract drafting, contract reviews, intellectual property protection, privacy, lease reviews, financing and more.
Over the past five years, Sprintlaw’s team of lawyers and legal technologists have assisted with 40,000 business legal enquiries in Australia and the UK. The company’s UK arm grew 240 per cent year-on-year, securing more than 400 clients since it launched in late 2020.
The latest foray into New Zealand will see Sprintlaw operate as a legal consultancy instead of a traditionally regulated law firm, meaning certain legal advice may not be considered privileged, but rather be treated in the same manner as advice from an accountant.
The company does not have New Zealand-qualified lawyers, and will instead service clients with Australian-qualified or UK-qualified lawyers, who are familiar with New Zealand’s laws and requirements given the strong legal similarities between all three nations.
“The New Zealand economy is powered by small businesses, who make up 99 per cent of all businesses and employ 42 per cent of the workforce, yet most of these businesses lack easy access to affordable legal advice,” Solo said.
“Sprintlaw solves this problem with our tech-enabled model, which provides NZ small businesses and startups with affordable, tech-enabled legal services tailored to their needs.
“We’ve greatly enjoyed helping so many businesses grow in Australia and the UK, and we’re now excited to become part of NZ businesses’ journeys.”
To date, Sprintlaw has raised roughly $3.5 million in funding, including from angel investors such as former Smartgroup (ASX: SIQ) CEO Deven Billimoria, who serves as a close advisor to the company.
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