Legaltech startup Intelllex raises US$2.1m led by Quest Ventures

INTELLLEX, a legal knowledge-management platform provider, has raised US$2.1 million in Series A funding led by local venture capital firm Quest Ventures, the startup announced on Thursday. 

The funding round was joined by Thomson Reuters, Insignia Ventures, K3 Ventures and an undisclosed venture fund backed by the Singapore government, Intelllex said. Quest Ventures partner Jeffrey Seah will join Intelllex's board. 

Founded in 2015, the startup offers a knowledge-management platform with artificial-intelligence (AI) functionality to its clients, which include international and local law firms, government and regulatory institutions, corporate legal teams and legal content providers. It has raised about S$5 million since its founding.

With its proprietary technology that automates document categorisation, Intelllex is able to convert its clients' information assets into ready-to-use materials that can be searched more easily.

Intelllex plans to use the fresh capital to expand its services in the Asia-Pacific and Europe, as well as to develop new products, said Chang Zi Qian, the startup's co-founder and co-chief executive. A law graduate, he was previously with the commercial litigation practice group in Rajah and Tann, before joining the National Research Foundation. 

Fellow co-founder and co-chief executive Ellery Sutanto said: "Our next product upgrade will explore applications beyond the legal industry to related knowledge-based industries like financial services regulation, corporate finance regulation and tax." 

Mr Seah of Quest Ventures said that the startup's "brains-with-AI-brawn offering is well-positioned to resolve age-old productivity and delivery problems across multiple business-to-business industries". 

Intelllex is a pre-approved legal-tech software vendor under the Law Society of Singapore's Tech-celerate For Law Programme, which supports law practices in adopting technology solutions. The startup has offices in Singapore and London. 

Intelllex previously raised an undisclosed sum from angel investors that included Creative Technologies founder Sim Wong Hoo; Tan Kim Seng and Jeffrey Khoo of private equity firm 3V SourceOne and Kelvin Chan, a former managing director of Partners Group's Asia-Pacific private equity team. 

Its other early backers include Chandra Mohan, a partner at law firm Rajah and Tann; and Chong Chiet Ping, managing partner of Small World Group Incubator. Mr Mohan and Ms Chong were also early investors in gaming hardware firm Razer.