Cologne-based legaltech startup JUPUS has successfully closed a €13 million Series A funding round to advance its AI-powered secretarial service for law firms. Led by Semapa Next with co-investor NRW.BANK, the funding will help automate administrative tasks and address a critical staffing shortage in the legal sector. Existing backers Acton Capital and High-Tech Gründerfonds also participated, signaling strong confidence in the company's growth trajectory and innovative solution.
Addressing a Critical Industry Gap
The European legal market, particularly in Germany, faces a severe operational challenge that JUPUS aims to solve. Over the last three decades, the number of newly trained legal assistants has plummeted by over 70 percent while the number of practicing lawyers has tripled. This growing disparity has created a significant administrative burden, especially for the small and mid-sized firms that constitute 90 percent of the market.
An AI Colleague for Modern Law Firms
JUPUS offers a solution described as an "AI colleague" designed to perform work rather than merely assist with it. The platform automates a wide range of secretarial duties, including answering client calls, structuring inquiries, preparing case files, and drafting legal documents. By handling these routine operations, the service saves law firms an average of more than 70 hours per month, a significant efficiency gain.
The platform has already achieved significant market traction, demonstrating its value to legal professionals across Germany. More than 2,000 lawyers currently utilize the JUPUS solution for their daily operations. The system processes over 2,000 new legal cases each day, a volume that surpasses that of any single law firm in Europe and validates its robust capabilities.
Investor Confidence and Strategic Vision
The Series A round reflects strong investor belief in the company's potential to become a category leader. Hugo Augusto, CEO of lead investor Semapa Next, noted that JUPUS stands out because its AI "does the work," directly solving the bottleneck problem in legal operations. This deep integration and proven scalability were key factors that convinced the pan-European venture capital firm to lead the investment.
Co-investor NRW.BANK echoed this sentiment, with board member Johanna Antonie Tjaden-Schulte highlighting how the technology eases workloads and makes processes more efficient. For JUPUS co-founder René Fergen, the mission is to transform how law firms operate and ensure access to the legal system. He emphasized that the AI is built for the thousands of smaller firms that form the foundation of European law.
Fueling Future Growth and Expansion
With the new capital, JUPUS plans to accelerate its growth and enhance its technological leadership in legal AI. The funds are earmarked for further developing its AI capabilities, scaling its presence within the German market, and initiating a broader European expansion. This strategic plan aims to solidify its position as the go-to solution for small and mid-sized law firms facing administrative pressures.
The company's impressive growth metrics underscore its market momentum and readiness for this next phase of expansion. In 2025, JUPUS quadrupled its annual recurring revenue, tripled its headcount, and more than doubled its user base. This rapid scaling provides a strong foundation for its ambitious plans to transform the legal industry across the continent.
This €13 million investment marks a pivotal moment for JUPUS and the broader European legaltech landscape. By providing a specialized AI solution that directly addresses a decades-in-the-making labor shortage, the company is empowering smaller firms to operate more efficiently. As JUPUS expands its reach, its technology is set to become a standard tool for modernizing legal practices and ensuring the continued accessibility of legal services.