The company’s platform aims to enhance lawyers’ productivity, allowing them to focus on higher-value work. By automating routine tasks, the platform claims customers get 90% of the through-put of a world-class lawyer and a 99% cost reduction versus going to a law firm, all within 60 seconds.

“AI is not about replacing professionals. It’s about making them better at their jobs,” explained Wordsmith CEO Ross McNairn, who began his career as a lawyer before transitioning to software engineering. “Just as the word processor didn’t replace writers, but instead made them more productive, Wordsmith is ushering in a new era of AI-assisted professional services.”

The seed funding was led by Index Ventures, with participation from General Catalyst and notable angel investors including Skyscanner founder Gareth Williams.

Wordsmith was founded in 2023 by Mr McNairn with co-founders Volodymyr Giginiak and Robbie Falkenthal, who are respectively CTO and COO. After leaving the law, Mr McNairn sold his first startup to Skyscanner in 2016 and most recently was chief product and technology officer at Travelperk.

Mr Giginiak, one of the first engineers at Meta in London who worked for a decade in roles at Facebook and Instagram, was helping to implement anti-drone technology for the Ukrainian army before joining Wordsmith. Mr Falkenthal, is a qualified lawyer who had previously worked at KPMG and as a senior operator at Travelperk.

Hannah Seal, the partner at Index Ventures who led the investment, said: “Wordsmith is at the vanguard of a fundamental shift in how professional services are delivered. It’s not about replacement but augmentation.

“By harnessing the power of generative AI, they’re not only transforming the legal industry, but also paving the way for a future in which AI-assisted professionals can provide better, faster, and more affordable services to their clients.”

Wordsmith’s customers include fast-growing tech companies such as Trustpilot. The team have worked closely with DLA Piper on the design and training of custom AI agents that will help to deliver top tier legal knowledge and know-how.

The new funding will allow Wordsmith to accelerate hiring in Scotland and the US, as well as launch its core product to the wider market.