LEGAL & CONSULTING

Definely Raises $30M to Grow Legal Tech Business in U.S.

Co-founded by Nnamdi Emelifeonwu and Feargus MacDaeid, the U.K. startup is pushing into North America as demand grows for smarter contract review tools.

By Donna Joseph
June 13, 2025 9:44 PM Updated June 13, 2025
Definely Raises $30M to Grow Legal Tech Business in U.S. Photo by SBR

LONDON, June 13, 2025 — Definely, a U.K.-based legal tech company co-founded by a blind lawyer and a former Freshfields associate, has secured $30 million in Series B funding to accelerate its U.S. expansion and invest further in AI tools aimed at transforming contract workflows for legal teams.

Definely began in 2017 after Nnamdi Emelifeonwu, then a lawyer at Freshfields, asked colleague Feargus MacDaeid, one of the few registered blind lawyers in the U.K., what would make his daily work easier. The response was clear: a tool that could help him navigate complex contract definitions without losing context.

That conversation sparked a business idea Nnamdi believed would benefit every lawyer. He and MacDaeid launched Definely to develop AI-powered tools that streamline contract drafting and review, enabling legal professionals to work more efficiently inside Microsoft Word.

The startup’s latest funding round includes participation from European and North American backers, such as Revaia, Alumni Ventures and Beacon Capital. It follows a $7 million Series A completed in May last year.

Definely’s product suite includes Draft, which helps users view definitions and clauses without losing their place in the document; Vault, a clause insertion tool; Proof, which flags inconsistencies using AI; and PDF, which extracts data from scanned legal documents. A new system, Enhance, introduces AI agents that assist with drafting, reviewing and proofreading tasks.

“These agents collaborate to complete tasks across drafting, reviewing and proofreading, streamlining work for legal professionals where they already operate,” Nnamdi said.

He described this funding round as “arduous,” but noted it was also “rewarding.” Revaia, the lead investor, came through an introduction. All other participants approached the company directly. “We didn’t reach out to one investor during Series B,” he said.

Definely plans to use the capital to build its U.S. presence, which now contributes 30 percent of its revenue. It will also increase hiring and continue expanding its AI capabilities.

The legal AI space is becoming increasingly competitive, with peers such as Luminance, Robin AI and ContractPodAi pursuing similar goals.

Nnamdi, a Nigerian immigrant, said he had long dreamed of becoming a lawyer, but once in the profession, he found himself drawn to entrepreneurship.

“I’ve always had ideas, and I explored a few, but when the right idea came along, one that tapped directly into the challenges I experienced firsthand as a lawyer, I knew I had to pursue it,” he said.

The significance of raising capital as a Black founder was not lost on him.

“Having raised fresh capital and building toward a truly global business, it’s both a personal milestone and, I hope, a signal to others that it’s possible,” he said. “I want this to inspire the next wave of builders who may not come from traditional paths but have just as much potential to create lasting impact.”

It’s both a personal milestone and, I hope, a signal to others that it’s possible.


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