Roll Up, Roll Up! A&O Fuse Opens For 3rd Cohort

ROLL UP! ROLL UP! Allen & Overy (A&O) is from today taking new applications from legal tech companies that want to be part of the third cohort in Fuse, the firm’s tech innovation space.

Applications close on 25 January and a pitch day will take place in February.

Both early stage and more mature companies can apply to work in the specially-designed area within A&O’s London offices and successful applicants will be invited to work in the space for approximately six months, the firm said.

Started in September 2017, Fuse, headed by Shruti Ajitsaria, was created to give A&O lawyers and clients opportunities to better understand the use of technology that could benefit them.

Most recently the FCA and Bank of England’s Digital Regulatory Reporting pilot team joined Fuse, and are looking at how technology could potentially improve the efficiency of the current regulatory reporting process.

Shruti Ajitsaria, Head of Fuse, (pictured above), said: ‘Fuse acts as a radar enabling us to understand what is out there in terms of technology-driven solutions to the challenges that our lawyers and clients face every day.’

‘Selecting a new cohort will enable us to continue to be a destination and a collaborative partner for best-in-class tech companies with whom we find synergies,’ she added.

To submit an application, please visit: here. 

For further information, please contact Rajiv Pattni, Rajiv.Pattni@allenovery.com , or give them a call on +44 (0)20 3088 1237.

Some background on Fuse

The first company invited by Allen & Overy to join Fuse was Nivaura, which is developing an automated and vertically integrated cloud based service for the issue and administration of financial instruments by small and medium-sized issuers.

Seven other companies were selected to join Nivaura in Fuse for the first cohort:

  • Avvoka – a digital platform incorporating a contract creation, workflow and analytics tool.
  • Corlytics – a business providing regulatory risk intelligence, using forensic analysis and forecasting of fines and sentencing globally.
  • iManage – which acquired RAVN, a business developing natural language processing and machine learning technology to organise, discover and summarise documents.
  • Ithaca – a charitable not-for-profit enterprise aiming to create a mobile-responsive online technology platform to assist asylum seekers in gaining access to pro bono legal representation and advice.
  • Legatics – a company that turns ‘paper and email’ based legal processes into simple and innovative software.
  • Opus 2 International – originally a developer of litigation and transcript management software, now developing a tool to support lawyers with the prospectus verification process.
  • Vable – a provider of content aggregation, automation and intelligence software.

The following companies were selected for the second cohort:

Five new companies moved into the space to join three companies from the first cohort – Avvoka, Legatics and Nivaura – which stayed on.

  • Bloomsbury AI – an early stage company that uses natural language understanding, cognitive capabilities and machine learning to create virtual assistants that can be taught to read, reason and communicate. [NOTE: this company was soon bought by Facebook.]
  • Kira Systems – provides machine learning technology for document review and analysis, which has been licensed by Allen & Overy.
  • Neota Logic – a provider of automation software whose AI-powered app development platform enables professionals to build and deploy applications that automate legal expertise, processes and documents.
  • Regnosys – a fintech company which seeks to deliver “machine executable regulation” and drive radical change in the financial industry’s approach to regulatory compliance.
  • Signal Media – an AI-powered intelligence firm turning information into accessible, actionable business knowledge. Artificial Intelligence is applied to millions of content-rich sources – from news media to global regulatory updates – driving insight and helping businesses manage the risks and opportunities they face.
And soon…..your company may also be listed here…..hurry up and apply!