Harvey and Legora raised almost $1.9B between them in 2026, selling AI to law firms across the US and Europe.
I’ve been super bullish on vertical AI for years, and confident AI would take over much of the slow, expensive legal industry. (My first serious job, back when I thought building things wasn’t serious, was as an M&A lawyer.)
I just found the most promising company I’ve seen in this sector, and I’m fighting for an allocation before it’s worth tens of billions 😂
It’s called GC AI. It sells to the legal team inside a company, the general counsel and their lawyers, and that buyer is now the fastest-growing part of legal AI.
In this newsletter I’ll run you through:
The vertical AI market, and how to build a billion-dollar company competing with the frontier labs
How GC AI is winning the in-house buyer that Harvey and Legora are now chasing
High-signal analysis on markets, capital and the companies shaping the next decade
Inside you will find:
Part 1: The Vertical AI Market, and How to Win It Against the Frontier Labs
Legal AI Just Had the Biggest Year of Any Vertical AI Category See where Harvey and Legora’s $1.9B went, and where the new growth is coming from.
Why Legal AI Is Really Two Markets Learn how law firms and in-house teams buy, work and measure success.
Why the In-House Buyer Is Where Legal AI Is Heading Find out why Harvey and Legora are both moving toward company legal teams.
How to Build a Billion-Dollar Vertical AI Company When Everyone Has the Same Models Get the five tests I use to judge whether a vertical AI company can beat the frontier labs.
Part 2: How GC AI Is Winning the Buyer Harvey and Legora Are Now Chasing
Why the Founder Is GC AI’s Moat See how three GC jobs and early access to GPT became the product spec.
The Four Product Choices That Win In-House Deals Learn the product decisions that make GC AI fit the way in-house teams work.
Why GC AI’s Market Is Bigger Than Legal Find out why nearly 30% of its seats go to people outside the legal team.
The AI Market Fit Scorecard: How GC AI Scores on the Five Tests See where GC AI passes, and the one question still open.
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