Source: SeedLegals
The greatest business leaders, startups, investors, researchers, and innovators come together at VivaTech to find their crowd every year. The result Partnerships are created, business deals are closed, startup funds are raised, and new talent is recruited. These are what we call VivaStories.
Company: SeedLegals
Sector: Legal Services
HQ: London, UK
Year founded: 2016
Who we interviewed: Florent Artaud, Country Manager of France
Startup Story
Entrepreneur Anthony Rose and angel investor Laurent Laffy met in 2016 at a party and found they had one thing in common: they were both fed up with startup financing rounds taking months to negotiate and spending outrageous sums of money on attorneys for the same legal paperwork at every round.
They decided to create SeedLegals: a platform to help founders and investors easily create, negotiate, and sign all the legal agreements needed for a funding round. Launched in 2016 in the UK, SeedLegals is changing the game for startups’ legal processes.
“I met SeedLegals in 2019 after they raised a Series A round. They planned to use the funds to expand the business internationally and decided to start with France,” Florent Artaud, SeedLegals Country Manager of France, explained to us.
“I am a lawyer by trade. I was working with another startup and found the idea of facilitating the legal aspects surrounding entrepreneurship really interesting. We launched in the French market in 2020, just before Covid which was pretty tough, but it went really well in the end.”
SeedLegals has now helped more than 50,000 startups around the globe. What’s more, one in six funding rounds in the UK are now closed through SeedLegals.
SeedLegals team at VivaTech. Source: VivaTech
VivaStory
In 2022, the SeedLegals team ventured into VivaTech for the first time. “When we came last year, it was incredible. There were so many startups, amazing entrepreneurs, and cool projects to see,” Florent remarked.
In addition to getting wowed by the event, SeedLegals made their mark on fellow startups. “We met several startups who of course didn’t know about us so we got great leads. We ended up working with a lot of them!”
“We also met MonJuridique which is a company that handles other companies’ registries.” Soon after the event, a partnership bloomed between the two legal startups.
2023: A year for even more connections
Back for another round of VivaTech in 2023, the SeedLegals team was ready for more action. “We were so keen to come back this year to meet potential customers, bring more awareness to our brand, and explain what we do here in France and the UK,” Florent expressed.
After four days of networking, pitching, and conversations, the team walked away with:
- 50+ meetings with startups to discuss their project and how SeedLegals can help them with their fundraising, options, and more
- New clients using the platform after their very first discussion at VivaTech
- Many discussions with partners, especially one with Schoolab which led to a webinar held in September on How to Raise Funds in a Difficult Environment
Not bad for only a few days of work. “Overall it was an amazing experience. The team is really keen to attend the event next year,” Florent told us.
The SeedLegals team. Photo credit: SeedLegals
Words of wisdom
Now a two-time VivaTech alum, Seedlegals has advice for startups coming to the event for the very first time.
“Prepare in advance,” Florent warned. “It is a massive event. There are many companies you can meet here ranging from pre-seed startups to big corporations and public associations all relating to the tech ecosystem. Decide beforehand who you might want to meet with. Set up meetings if you can so you can make the most of your time at VivaTech.”
Onward bound
From the spark of an idea at a party to a full-grown business that’s helping other startups conquer legal challenges, SeedLegals is truly transforming the way companies start, grow, and scale. We can’t wait to see what’s in store for them over the next few years and how they’ll empower even more VivaTech alumni.
Want to spark your own success story Pre-register for VivaTech 2024.
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