LegalTech programme MDR LAB goes global in search for tech startups in the legal space
by Startacus Admin
There’s a growing international significance to LegalTech programme MDR LAB, Mishcon de Reya’s accelerator programme for tech startups in the legal space.
With MDR LAB's inaugural programme taking place last year, it was refreshing to see 6 companies, from all over the globe, selected to spend 10 weeks working alongside Mishcon de Reya's lawyers and business operations teams to develop and trial their products.
With more than 700 personnel, Mishcon de Reya is an independent law firm with an international footprint, with offices in both London and New York. In December, Mishcon de Reya announced that it has convened an International Advisory Board to help develop the MDR LAB programme into 2018.
Members of the Board, including Daniel van Binsbergen, CEO of Lexoo, Europe’s leading curated legal marketplace, Amy ter Haar, President of Integra Canada, which is involved in the day-to-day operation of the Integra Ledger “Blockchain for Law” and Titus Rahiri – Founder & Director, KorumLegal, a legal solutions firm in the Asia-Pacific region, make up an internationally strong advisory board of seven, who will act as ambassadors for MDR LAB in key markets across the globe.
Nick West, Chief Strategy Officer at Mishcon de Reya, said:
"Our new International Advisory Board will enable us to know more about what's happening on the ground in some key tech hubs, and better 
understand how to attract the most innovative companies to come and work with us.”
Since the first MDR LAB programme completed, Mishcon de Reya has continued to develop relationships with all six of 2017’s participating companies, and in November announced that it invested in two of them: Everchron, developers of collaborative litigation management software; and Ping, whose product automates timekeeping for lawyers and provides data analysis for law firms - both noticeably, US based companies who participated in the inaugural programme.
Synergist.io from Berlin, Salt DNA from Belfast, Surukam, from India and Orbital Witness from the UK made up the very much international feel to the first cohort.
Now open again for 2018, and once again run in partnership with innovation specialists L Marks, applications are welcomed from companies at concept through to revenue-generating stage, as long as the product or service is applicable to the legal industry.
MDR LAB want to hear from a range of legal tech businesses, from those that are developing technology that could help streamline transactions, help lawyers make sense of data, identify and manage cyber threats, assist Real Estate lawyers and their clients, through to those providing innovative tech that can help law firms run their businesses better.
Successful applicants will have the opportunity to work within their target market to pilot and improve products and to gain a better understanding of how legal services are provided and where lawyers – and their clients – would benefit from new technologies. They will have access to Mishcon de Reya lawyers and other business experts throughout the firm for advice, mentorship and education.
In addition, those chosen to participate in MDR LAB will have access to Mishcon de Reya’s legal and business networks with opportunities for attracting investment and/or licensing products to Mishcon de Reya.
Applications to join MDR LAB close on 18th February 18th and shortlisted applicants will be invited to a Pitch Day on March 21st where startups will get the chance to expand on their application and persuade the panel that their startup is right for MDR LAB. Selected startups will then start the 10 week programme on May 8th.
Investment terms will be agreed with all the MDR LAB participating startups, and they will decide which startups to invest in at the end of the 10 week programme.
Visit lab.mdr.london for all the details and to make that all important application and check out the two short videos below that give you a flavour of the programme from the perspective of the startups themselves.
Best of luck.
Salt DNA
MDR LAB - Salt DNA
Ping
MDR LAB - Ping
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Published on: 13th January 2018
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