Driving Legal Innovation: Innovate UK partners with Legal Innovation Zone (LIZ) to Bring Leading UK Startups to Canada
The Legal Innovation Zone (LIZ) at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) is pleased to have been selected to partner with the UK’s national Innovation agency, Innovate UK (external link) ! Through this partnership, seven innovative legal tech companies have been selected to join Innovate UK’s Global Incubator Program (external link) , an acceleration program for innovative UK-based SMEs. Participating companies will get the opportunity to build their Canadian market plan, and bring their global legal technologies to the Canadian market.
This 6-month program gives selected companies a unique opportunity to grow and explore the potential of the Canadian Market with expert resources and guidance provided by the LIZ.
“We are excited to partner with Innovate UK and invite UK-based legal tech companies into our space and community.” says Chris Bentley, Managing Director at the LIZ, “ We can offer these companies access to all the resources they need to explore the potential of the Toronto and larger Canadian market.”
What Does the Program Include?
The program includes online programming, one on one mentorship, two market visits, a final Demo Day and much more, all organized by the LIZ. Online programming will focus on strengthening and growing the companies, working with the LIZ to identify their key needs. Participants will also connect with expert advisors, mentors, and the greater legal tech community. During the in-person market visits, companies will get the opportunity to connect with potential customers and investors within the Canadian Market.
When Does the Program Take Place?
The LIZ will be running two cohorts of the program, with the first cohort kicking off in July 2023 with a week of in-person programming organized by the LIZ. After the program wraps up in November 2023, participating companies will still have access to the LIZ as they continue to grow and expand their business.
The second cohort will launch in 2024. Sign up for the LIZ newsletter (external link) to stay up to date with upcoming programs and events.
What Benefits Does This Program Have on the Canadian Market?
Through this program, the LIZ is bringing innovative, global, legal technologies to the Canadian Market.
Innovate UK’s Global Incubator Programme is a competitive, intensive program, with successful companies carefully selected by Innovate UK and LIZ leadership. With training and resources provided by the LIZ, the world’s first and largest legal tech incubator, and access to Innovate UK’s outstanding innovation ecosystem, participating companies will have everything they need to scale their businesses, build professional relationships, and successfully enter into the Canadian market. Taking place in Toronto, the legal, financial and economic centre of Canada, it is a hub for technology and innovation.
The seven UK companies selected to participate, backed by the expertise and resources offered through this program, have the potential to bring new, fresh and innovative technologies and systems into the Canadian Market.
Participating Companies
Companies selected to participate in cohort one of the Global Incubator Program are as follows:
Document automation, negotiation and analytics tool designed to help law firms, draft and negotiate documents, and leverage data insights from that process.
Provides legal tech solutions for lawyers to draft, understand and review documents and contracts with the click of a button.
Provides access to the only vendor-independent, comprehensive and secure, cloud-based, electronic and digital legal forms library in the UK.
Regulation technology company that utilises AI to automatically analyse regulation to provide insights.
A digital ecosystem that brings together issuers, lawyers, exchanges, and regulators into a secure workspace where capital market issuances and filings can be created and managed in a collaborative manner based on structured data principles.
Provides law firms with expert compliance support and guidance to help firms grow and succeed.
Provides automated identity verification and AML compliance solutions to lawyers and property professionals.
View (PDF file) this flyer (external link) to learn more about the program. If you’re interested in covering this partnership, please email our Marketing and Communications Coordinator, Nicole De Filippis at nicole.defilippis@torontomu.ca.