Supio, a legal tech startup based in Seattle, was founded in 2021 by longtime friends and former Microsoft engineers. The company recently raised a $25 million Series A investment to enhance its software platform designed to assist lawyers in efficiently sorting, searching, and organizing case-related data. Supio focuses on personal injury and mass tort plaintiff law cases, using AI to evaluate unstructured data and allowing lawyers to use a chatbot to extract relevant information. The platform aims to automate manual processes, saving time for lawyers and helping them identify critical information to strengthen and expedite their cases.
One of Supio’s success stories includes TorHoerman Law, which utilized the platform during a case against Abbott Labs involving premature infant formula. With over 40,000 pages of medical records, Supio enabled the law firm to quickly and accurately identify crucial data, contributing to their victory. Supio generates revenue through a subscription fee based on case volume and currently employs 27 people, with plans to double its headcount in the next year. Co-founders Jerry Zhou and Kyle Lam have been best friends for 30 years, previously collaborating on a mobile gaming app before joining Avalara and Microsoft.
The $25 million Series A investment in Supio was led by Sapphire Ventures, with participation from Bonfire Ventures and Foothill Ventures. The total funding raised by the company to date is $33 million. Seattle has seen a rise in legal tech startups utilizing AI and other technologies to simplify tasks for lawyers, with companies like Clearbrief, Prophia, AllDrafts, and Predict.law leading the way. Other startups in the region focus on contract management, such as Lexion, which was acquired by Docusign, and Icertis, one of the largest privately held tech companies in the Seattle area.
While Supio has competitors in the legal tech space, particularly in AI-assisted personal injury case work like EvenUp, the use of generative AI tools in legal firms is expected to increase. However, there are concerns about the accuracy and potential ethical pitfalls associated with AI-boosted legal tech software. As more legal tech startups enter the market, the industry will continue to evolve, offering innovative solutions to help lawyers streamline their workflows and improve case outcomes. Supio’s focus on leveraging AI to enhance data organization and analysis for lawyers demonstrates the potential for technology to revolutionize the legal sector and improve access to justice for all.
