Dubai’s Legal Tech Revolution: Qanooni Secures $2 Million Pre-Seed Funding
In an exciting development within the legal tech space, Dubai-based startup Qanooni has announced a successful $2 million pre-seed funding round. The round was spearheaded by Village Global, alongside contributions from Oryx Fund (backed by Salica Investments), TA Ventures, and a network of strategic angel investors. This funding boost was revealed on Tuesday, marking a significant step forward for the burgeoning company.
Innovative Beginnings and Founding Team
Founded in 2024, Qanooni was established by a dynamic team of serial entrepreneurs: Anuscha Iqbal, Ziyaad Ahmed, and Karim Shiyab. The trio brings together a rich blend of expertise, innovation, and ambition. Iqbal and Ahmed previously co-founded Spotii, a payment platform that achieved notable success and was sold to Australian fintech Zip Co in 2021. Their follow-up venture, Spotii-in-a-Box, was acquired by NymCard in 2023.
Iqbal has an extensive background in finance, with 13 years in investment banking and private equity, including holding the position of Managing Director at Abraaj Group. Shiyab, a crucial asset to the team, is a legal expert who founded Legalintro, a consultancy that aids firms in expanding throughout the GCC region. He has also served as a senior lawyer at Al Tamimi and Company, a prestigious law firm in the area.
Qanooni’s Core Offering
At the heart of Qanooni’s mission is an AI-powered legal platform designed to integrate seamlessly with everyday tools used by legal professionals, specifically Microsoft Outlook and Word. This approach allows lawyers to draft, review, and manage documents with the assistance of AI that can adapt to their unique writing styles and adhere to internal standards.
What sets Qanooni apart from its peers in the legal tech sector is its commitment to minimizing disruption. Traditional legal tech tools often require professionals to adapt to entirely new software environments, which can hinder productivity. In contrast, Qanooni harnesses familiar Microsoft Office interfaces, offering a smoother transition and easier adoption by legal teams.
Personalization Through AI
One of the standout features of Qanooni’s platform is its ability to provide a personalized user experience. The generative AI is engineered to mimic individual lawyers’ tones and writing styles, ensuring that generated documents maintain consistency with a firm’s internal guidelines. This ability to customize addresses a common barrier to the adoption of AI in the legal industry — the need for technology that aligns perfectly with specific practices and quality standards.
As the demand for legal tech solutions continues to escalate, Qanooni’s innovative platform positions itself as a valuable resource for law firms and legal departments. By enhancing the speed and accuracy of document preparation and review while seamlessly integrating with existing document management systems, the platform holds considerable promise.
Funding Impact and Future Plans
The funding acquired in this pre-seed round is set to catalyze Qanooni’s expansion plans in both the UAE and UK markets while refining its proprietary AI engine, tailored explicitly for legal workflows. Such expansion indicates a strong confidence from investors in Qanooni’s business model and long-term growth potential.
The round attracted a roster of notable individual investors, including Ben Casnocha, Sri Batchu, Josh Rodger, Viktoriya Tigipko, Andrew Verbitsky, Jimmy Stone, Nicholas Nottebohm, Ashish Shetty, and Miguel Rodrigues. The backing of these influential figures underscores the enthusiasm and optimism surrounding Qanooni’s prospects.
Conclusion: The Future of Legal Tech
As Dubai emerges as a hub for innovation, Qanooni stands out not just for its unique approach to legal tech, but for the quality of its founding team and the impressive backing it has secured. By focusing on intuitive integration and personalization within established workflows, Qanooni is poised to redefine how legal professionals engage with technology in their daily practices. The legal landscape is set for transformation, and Qanooni is at the forefront of this exciting evolution.
