August Raises $7M to Deliver Configurable Legal AI to Midsize Firms

Led by NEA and Pear VC, with participation from top law schools, the round will expand August’s modular AI agents and tailored onboarding model

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--August, the first AI platform built specifically for midsize law firms, raised $7M and unveiled configurable AI workflows that adapt to each firm’s tasks. The round was led by NEA and Pear VC, with strategic participation from leading law schools, Afore Capital, and notable angel investors, including Gokul Rajaram, Geoff Charles (Chief Product Officer at Ramp), David Azose (Head of Engineering at OpenAI), and Kevin Zhang (Partner at Bain Capital Ventures), among other prominent backers.

August provides bespoke services catered to midsize firms—an underserved market with more than 50,000 practices worldwide that collectively employ half a million lawyers. With August, these firms can embrace alternative or flat‑fee billing and accelerate document‑heavy tasks such as contract review, due diligence, discovery preparation, and drafting.

Firms across four continents—North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia—have already integrated August into their practices. Unlike one-size Big-Law tools, August’s modular AI agents “snap” to local statutes, disclosure rules, and document standards, configuring themselves for the needs of their users.

“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. “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.”

By shifting routine document work to AI, August frees partners and associates to focus on strategic client counseling. Firms using August have already seen substantial impact. Hicksons, a leading Australian firm, reviewed 5,000 negligence files 90% faster, allowing the firm to expand its caseload capacity and compete more effectively for new clients. ELP, one of the largest tax firms in India, cut diligence time by 60%, enabling more advisory work and optimized fee structures. Additionally, a Florida litigation team used August to analyze 40,000 pages in a $100M dispute, saving seven figures in external counsel costs and weeks of partner time.

"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, Partner at Hicksons.

“We see tremendous potential in the midsize legal market, where firms are eager for innovation that drives meaningful ROI,” said Tiffany Luck, Partner at NEA. “August’s AI platform and custom agents enable midsize firms to deliver exceptional client value and drive significant growth. We’re excited to partner with the August team as they reshape legal technology in this high-impact segment.”

August’s platform uses a modular AI agent orchestration framework that closely emulates attorney thought processes, ensuring high accuracy, traceability, and quality of legal work. All deployments can run securely behind firms’ internal firewalls to meet regional data-residency requirements.

August was founded in 2023 by Rutvik Rau, Thomas Bueler-Faudree, and Joseph Parker, who bring deep 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.

“We’re excited to back August as they pursue a massive opportunity,” said Mar Hershenson, Founding Managing Partner at Pear VC. “Midsize law firms account for more than a third of all practicing lawyers worldwide, yet August is the first AI platform built specifically for them. Early adopters are already completing document-review cycles 80% faster, and during PearX we saw firsthand how deeply customer-driven—and how uniquely strong in AI, legal insight, and execution—the August team is.”

To learn more or inquire about open roles, contact [e-mail] or visit www.august.law.

About August

Founded in 2023, August offers a configurable AI platform explicitly designed for mid-sized law firms and in-house legal teams. Supported by leading investors, including NEA, Pear VC, Stanford Law School, and prominent angels in AI and legal technology, August empowers legal professionals with innovative tools tailored to the unique needs of their practices and the dynamic nature of their clients.

About NEA

New Enterprise Associates, Inc. (NEA) is a global venture capital firm focused on helping entrepreneurs build transformational businesses across multiple stages, sectors and geographies. Founded in 1977, NEA has more than $27 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2024, and invests in technology and healthcare companies at all stages in a company’s lifecycle, from seed stage through IPO. The firm's long track record of investing includes more than 280 portfolio company IPOs and more than 470 mergers and acquisitions. For more information, please visit www.nea.com

About Pear VC

Pear is a premier AI-first pre-seed and seed venture firm with a proven track record. The firm’s mission is to partner with the world’s best founders from day zero and help them build generational companies. Pear has backed category-defining companies early, including Doordash, Guardant Health, Gusto, and Vanta. The firm is currently investing from its $432M fourth fund. Learn more at www.pear.vc