UpCounsel is a technology company.
UpCounsel has raised $12.1M across 3 funding rounds.
UpCounsel has raised $12.1M in total across 3 funding rounds.
UpCounsel is a San Francisco-based technology company operating an online marketplace that connects businesses, startups, and entrepreneurs with independent attorneys for legal services, enabling users to hire lawyers on demand without traditional law firm contracts.[1][2][4] It serves fast-growing companies by allowing them to build custom legal teams—ranging from one-time consultations to full freelance legal departments—through features like lawyer matching, proposal comparisons, document collaboration, e-signatures, and secure payments, solving the problem of high costs, slow hiring, and administrative burdens in legal access.[2][4][5] The platform claims to save users up to 60% compared to law firms, with attorneys averaging 14 years of experience, and has supported tens of thousands of companies from startups to Fortune 500 firms.[2][4]
UpCounsel was founded in August 2012 by Matt Faustman (CEO with prior experience at Latham & Watkins) and Mason Blake (CTO and engineer) in San Francisco, emerging from the AngelPad incubator to provide affordable legal help to startups and small businesses underserved by large law firms.[1][2] The idea addressed the need for quick, budget-friendly legal assistance, starting with brief assignments and expanding in 2014 to connect companies with outside general counsel matched to their sector.[1] In February 2020, UpCounsel faced shutdown due to a licensing dispute with LinkedIn but was acquired by Enduring Ventures, allowing it to continue under new ownership and management.[1] Today, headquartered in Las Vegas with around 38 employees, it has raised $25.45M at a post-valuation of $46.73M.[3]
UpCounsel rides the legal tech (LegalTech) wave, democratizing access to high-quality legal services amid rising demand from remote, fast-scaling startups post-2010s tech boom, where traditional firms' high fees and delays hinder growth.[1][2][5] Timing aligns with gig economy platforms (e.g., Uber for lawyers) and tools like e-signatures exploding during COVID, amplified by 2020 acquisition stabilizing it amid marketplace consolidations.[1][5] Favorable forces include AI/document automation trends, regulatory pushes for affordable counsel, and businesses' shift to flexible freelance models; it influences the ecosystem by boosting lawyer visibility, reducing barriers for 10,000+ firms, and accelerating LegalTech adoption with features like RFP management and reviews.[3][4][6]
UpCounsel's resilient post-acquisition trajectory positions it to expand as LegalTech integrates AI for smarter matching and predictive legal needs, potentially growing its 0.15% momentum through international reach or deeper enterprise tools.[3][5] Trends like remote work, regulatory complexity in AI/IP, and freelance normalization will fuel demand, evolving its influence from startup enabler to comprehensive legal ops platform—reinforcing its role as the accessible alternative to Big Law in a democratized services economy.[2][4]
UpCounsel has raised $12.1M in total across 3 funding rounds.
UpCounsel's investors include Baseline Ventures, DNX Ventures, Drive Capital, Menlo Ventures, Cota Capital, Ocean Azul Partners, AiSprouts VC, AngelPad.
UpCounsel has raised $12.1M across 3 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $10.0M Series A in July 2015.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 1, 2015 | $10.0M Series A | Baseline Ventures, DNX Ventures, Drive Capital, Menlo Ventures | |
| Oct 1, 2013 | $2.0M Seed | Cota Capital, Ocean Azul Partners, AiSprouts VC, AngelPad | |
| Mar 1, 2013 | $100K Seed | AngelPad |