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25 August 2026 (Washington, DC) - A centralized legal workspace and operating system is the wave of the future because it brings all case files, billing, and client communication into one shared hub.
It matters for several reasons:
- Lawyers spend less time switching between different apps
- Everyone sees the same up-to-date information
- Staff and attorneys can chat, assign tasks, and track deadlines in one spot
Some of its key features underscore its importance:
- Document management: store, edit, and sign contracts securely
- Time tracking: log billable hours right next to active projects
- Client portals: give clients a safe place to view updates and send messages
Newcode, a Norway-based startup that has developed such a centralized legal workspace and operating system for law firms, plans to expand further into the U.S. after announcing a Series A funding round on Monday.
The company did not disclose the funding total. However, it revealed that its total capital raised in 2026 is now $20 million, including a $6.5 million seed funding round in March.
While AI has become ubiquitous at many law firms, Newcode believes that teams now need to focus on controlling and centralizing how legal intelligence is designed, governed and deployed. Maged Helmy, founder and CEO of Newcode, said in a statement:
"The AI revolution is ultimately a great thing for law firms. But to transform to AI-native, the legal market needs control and flexibility. Our mission is to help firms build AI capabilities that are truly their own".
Newcode's platform has a few startling things no other vendor has:
- it acts as an entry point for firms to structure tasks and organize requests for projects
- teams can use it for conducting due diligence, such as drafting engagement documents, and for handling trial preparation tasks, such as reviewing evidence
- the platform is capable of connecting with other AI tools and data sources
- there's also a proprietary retrieval system that uses agents, which are AI systems that can act autonomously, to interpret information across a firm
In addition to its planned expansion in the U.S., Newcode will use the new funding to build out teams involved in customer support, product development and go-to-market operations.
So there is no surprise why the Big Dogs in the legal technology finance ecosystem are getting on board:
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OnDean Forward led the Series A funding round. OnDean Forward is a company most of you know, the investing arm of OnDean that funds early-stage software companies building products for the legal ecosystem and regulated markets. It was created by Andrew Sieja (founder of the dominant legal tech company Relativity, a chap we have interviewed multiple times), alongside seasoned operators and executives like Drew Deitch (former COO at Relativity), Marcin Wojtczak (founder of Bain Poland and former Chief Growth Officer at Relativity), and Nick Robertson (long time Chief Operating Officer at Relativity).
- There was also participation from Relativity investment arm Rel Labs. Rel Labs is an investment arm and innovation hub launched by the legal technology company Relativity in October 2025 to fund early-stage artificial intelligence and legal data startups.
- The LegalTech Fund also bought a piece of the Series A. The LegalTech Fund is a global venture capital firm founded in 2021 that invests exclusively in early-stage startups transforming the legal industry. It has pieces of at least 56 companies in legal tech across the entire legal ecosphere.
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Antiportfolio Ventures is also in there, with several other existing Newcode investors. Antiportfolio Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm that focuses on investments in artificial intelligence, and legal tech.
Said Andrew Sieja about the investment:
"We're excited to work with Maged and the team at Newcode. The tech gives law firms a path to own their AI stack and helps them accelerate the use of AI across the practice and business of law".
Newcode claims to serve more than 60 law firms and government agencies across Europe and the U.S. In the past year, it said its annual recurring revenue has more than tripled. Phil Saunders, CEO of Relativity, said in a statement:
"Rel Labs is all about investing in builders who are harnessing the power of AI to reimagine how legal work gets done. We believe in what Newcode has built and this investment is our way of enabling them to bring AI capabilities closer to the legal community".
To be fair, several other startups have emerged in recent years, developing AI-based legal operating systems for law firms: Manifest OS raised a $60 million Series A funding round this past April, and Berlin-based LawX secured a €7.5 million ($8.6 million) investment.
The key is we are quickly moving away from fragmented, legacy systems toward a "single pane of glass" which is transforming the legal industry from a cost center into an efficient business enabler.
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