August, an AI assistant platform built for midsize law firms, has raised $7m; Blue J, an online natural language tax research platform, has raised $122m in a Series D funding; and Afriwise, Africa’s fast-growing legal-intelligence platform, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire LawExplorer.
August, an AI assistant platform built for midsize law firms, has raised $7m led by NEA and Pear VC, with strategic participation from Afore Capital and notable angel investors including David Azose, the head of engineering at OpenAI.
“August gives midsize law firms the freedom to shape AI around their own playbooks, whether they’re advising clients in Miami, Sydney, or Mumbai,” said Rutvik Rau, co-founder & CEO of August. “Our approach combines modular technology with personalized onboarding led by both attorneys and engineers, helping firms consistently deliver high-quality legal services that unlock growth and enhance client relationships.”
Firms using August are already said to have seen a substantial impact on outcomes: Hicksons, a leading Australian firm, says it reviewed 5,000 negligence files 90% faster, while ELP, one of the largest tax firms in India, cut diligence time by 60%.
“We conducted a process to find the best option and we chose August because they had the most accurate platform and were the most willing to work with us to solve our specific challenges,” said David Fischl, a partner at Hicksons.
August was founded in 2023 by Rutvik Rau, Thomas Bueler-Faudree, and Joseph Parker, who between them have expertise across AI, legal practice, and enterprise technology. The team met at Columbia University’s ML research lab, with experience spanning midsized law firms, Blackstone’s data science team, and leading tech companies, including DoorDash and PayPal.
August is headquartered in New York and is actively hiring across engineering, legal, product, and sales teams. To learn more or inquire about open roles, contact [email protected] or visit www.august.law.
Blue J, an online natural language tax research platform, on 4 August announced it has raised $122m in a Series D funding round led by Oak HC/FT and Sapphire Ventures, with participation from Intrepid Growth Partners, and previous investors Ten Coves Capital and CPA.com. It comes seven months after Blue J’s Series C round.
Founded 10 years ago, Blue J’s platform now leverages advanced generative AI to deliver answers to complex tax questions spanning U.S. federal, state, and local tax (SALT), as well as Canadian and UK tax law.
Benjamin Alarie, CEO and co-founder of Blue J said of the investors: “Their commitment is a powerful endorsement of our vision to transform tax research. With this capital and industry support, we will accelerate innovation and deliver even greater value to tax professionals. We are building the future of tax. This is just the beginning.”
“Tax research has long been a cumbersome, time-consuming task,” said Allen Miller, a partner at Oak HC/FT. “Blue J has solved this challenge with an elegant AI solution that dramatically accelerates research while raising the bar for accuracy. We believe Blue J will become the new standard for complex tax questions—and we’re proud to support Ben and the team in their next stage of growth.”
Blue J leverages OpenAI and Marc Manara, head of startups at OpenAI, said: “By leveraging OpenAI’s latest models, Blue J has elevated the standard for accuracy, trust, and insight in tax research. We’re excited to continue working together at the forefront of innovation.”
Last but not least, Afriwise, Africa’s fast-growing legal-intelligence platform, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire LawExplorer, an established South African provider of regulatory monitoring and analysis tools.
“This is not just an acquisition. It’s a strategic leap forward for how companies in Africa manage regulatory change,” said Steven De Backer, CEO and founder of Afriwise. “With this move, we firmly establish Afriwise as the definitive one-stop platform for legal and regulatory intelligence in Africa while at the same time gaining a powerful foothold in the South African legal market. By integrating LawExplorer’s flagship Sentinel platform, trusted for over two decades for its precision and editorial rigour, we’re adding deep regulatory monitoring capabilities to our multi-country legal intelligence. Together, we’re delivering a uniquely powerful solution that enables companies to anticipate risk, understand the legal and regulatory framework and make confident decisions across jurisdictions.”
The transaction is effective 1 August 2025 and the combined business will operate under the Afriwise brand. LawExplorer’s team will join Afriwise. Financial terms weren’t disclosed. Webber Wentzel acted as legal counsel to Afriwise.