French legal technology leader Doctrine has announced its acquisition of Maite.ai, a prominent Spanish legal AI startup. This strategic move marks Doctrine's official entry into the Spanish market and represents its largest acquisition to date. The deal is a significant step in the company's ambitious plan to establish a sovereign European leader in the rapidly evolving legal AI sector.
A Strategic Entry into the Spanish Market
With this acquisition, Doctrine expands its footprint into Spain, a market its CEO Guillaume Carrère identifies as the third largest in Europe for legal professionals. Maite.ai will continue to operate under its own brand from its Spanish headquarters, retaining its entire team to maintain its local expertise. This approach ensures a seamless transition while leveraging Maite.ai's established presence and deep understanding of the national legal landscape.
Founded in 2024, Maite.ai has quickly become a key player in Spain's legal tech scene, attracting over 2,000 clients including law firms and public administrations. The company's advanced AI copilot has demonstrated exceptional accuracy, notably achieving a 99% success rate on the Spanish judiciary entrance exam. This high level of performance underscores the technological value Maite.ai brings to the Doctrine portfolio.
Doctrine's Aggressive European Expansion
The purchase of Maite.ai is Doctrine's fifth acquisition in just three years, a period of accelerated growth following its acquisition by US fund Summit Partners. This pattern of external growth includes the integration of companies like Dejure in Germany and its main French competitor, Predictice. This strategy highlights Doctrine's commitment to consolidating the fragmented European legal tech market through targeted acquisitions.
Guillaume Carrère emphasized that the global nature of AI necessitates rapid scaling to establish a strong, sovereign European entity. By adding Spain to its operations in France, Germany, Italy, and Luxembourg, Doctrine now covers the four largest legal markets in continental Europe. This expanded reach gives the company a substantial foundation to serve a total addressable market of one million legal professionals.
Doctrine's core strategy revolves around adapting its technology to the unique legal frameworks of each country it enters. Carrère describes this localization as the company's "secret sauce," which involves verticalizing its AI on local law to create tangible added value. This focus on local specificity is crucial for building trust and utility among legal professionals across diverse jurisdictions.
Future Outlook and Consolidation
For Maite.ai, this union provides the resources and scale needed to solidify its leadership position within Spain. CEO Alejandro Castellano stated that joining Doctrine guarantees clients a more robust service backed by a decade of industry experience. The partnership respects Maite.ai's identity while providing the stability required for sustainable long-term growth and innovation.
Looking ahead, Doctrine plans to focus on consolidating its recent acquisitions rather than immediately pursuing new ones. While Carrère does not rule out future expansion into Northern or Eastern Europe, the current priority is to strengthen operations in its five key markets. This includes fostering local partnerships, such as its recent collaboration with the Venice Bar in Italy, to deepen its regional integration.
The acquisition of Maite.ai is a pivotal moment for Doctrine, significantly strengthening its ambition to lead the European legal AI sector. By integrating Maite.ai's specialized technology and market knowledge, Doctrine enhances its ability to deliver sophisticated, locally-attuned solutions. This strategic consolidation reinforces its mission to build a powerful, pan-European legal intelligence platform for professionals across the continent.