Definely is an AI-powered LegalTech company that builds a suite of tools integrated into Microsoft Word to streamline the creation, drafting, review, and management of complex legal documents.[1][3][4][6] It serves law firms (including Magic Circle and White Shoe firms like A&O Shearman, Slaughter and May, DLA Piper, and Dentons) and in-house legal teams at Fortune 500 companies (such as Deloitte, BT Group, Ericsson, and Barclays), solving core pain points like endless scrolling, Ctrl+F searches, and loss of context in document navigation.[2][3][4] The platform addresses inefficiencies in pre-execution contract workflows through modules like Vault (AI-powered knowledge management from proprietary repositories), Draft (unified term management and cross-referencing), Enhance (multi-agent AI for drafting/review with 40% speed gains), Proof (automated proofreading), and PDF tools, operating on subscription and per-case pricing for scalability.[1][3][5][6] Definely has shown strong growth, nearly tripling ARR in 2024, securing a $30M Series B, and expanding to over 100 customers across Europe, North America (30% of revenue), Africa, Australia, and Asia, with recognitions like top 25 in Deloitte UK Technology Fast50 (2023) and top 100 in Sifted 100 (2025).[2][3][4]
Definely was founded in September 2017 in London by Nnamdi Emelifeonwu (CEO) and Feargus MacDaeid, both former lawyers at Magic Circle firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer.[3][4][5] The idea emerged from MacDaeid's personal challenges as a registered blind lawyer navigating complex documents, highlighting broader accessibility and efficiency issues like poor tools for defined terms and cross-references; they initially aimed to aid visual impairments but quickly saw wider applications for all lawyers.[4][5] Early traction built on this foundation, evolving into a full suite by 2020 with subscription-based productivity tools, gaining Microsoft backing and rapid adoption amid LegalTech demand.[2][4] Pivotal moments include the 2024 ARR tripling, US market entry (now 30% revenue), and recent launches like Vault and Enhance, fueling a $30M Series B led by Revaia.[2][3][5]
Definely rides the vertical AI wave in the $900bn global legal services market, where generative AI meets domain-specific needs for precision in contract review/drafting amid rising deal complexity and regulatory demands.[4][5] Timing aligns with post-2023 AI adoption surge in LegalTech, accelerated by tools like Enhance entering as a "core technology layer" for workflows, while competitors focus on automation without deep Word integration.[1][3][5] Market forces favoring it include US expansion momentum, enterprise-grade security from inception, and interoperability with existing systems, positioning Definely to capture share in a fragmented space.[3][5] It influences the ecosystem by empowering lawyers (not replacing them), boosting efficiency for firms like Dentons, and setting standards for accessible, AI-augmented legal tools that enhance human judgment.[2][4][5]
Definely is poised for accelerated global scaling post-Series B, with US East Coast hires, a new General Manager, and roadmap additions like AI auto-labeling, workflow management, and precedent analytics to deepen wallet share in existing customers.[2][3][5] Trends like agentic AI, multi-jurisdictional expansion, and integration with emerging legal stacks will shape its path, potentially solidifying it as indispensable infrastructure for legal teams worldwide.[3][5][6] As AI evolves, Definely's lawyer-built focus on precision and context could expand influence from drafting/review to full lifecycle management, transforming how the world accesses legal information—echoing its mission to make complex documents simple.[4]
Definely has raised $40.0M in total across 3 funding rounds.
Definely's investors include Adapt Ventures, Alumni Ventures, Authentic Ventures, BoxGroup, Browder Capital, Capital Factory, CapitalX, Fifth Wall, Foundation Capital, Infinite Niches, Kepler Operator’s Fund, NextView Ventures.
Definely has raised $40.0M across 3 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $30.0M Series B in June 2025.
