Our Experience as the Official Legal Partner for Esummit'25 IIT Roorkee
There couldn't have been a better place to launch ZenGuide than one of India's most prestigious institutions - IIT Roorkee. Beyond its beautiful campus and stellar reputation, having one of our interns studying there made it an even more compelling choice for our debut.
This event marked a special milestone for our team as well. For the first time since our inception, our remote-first team came together in person, exemplifying the flexible work culture that defines LawSeek - something you can truly appreciate only when you're part of our organization.
With an expected footfall of 15,000 attendees from across India and participation from nearly 100 startups, Esummit'25 promised to be massive. Despite being our first offline event and having modest expectations, we found ourselves standing out remarkably. Our booth attracted curious visitors from various backgrounds - startups, MSMEs, students, and corporate professionals, all eager to understand our offering.
When we explained how our AI-enabled platform streamlines the legal journey, we received diverse reactions - predominantly positive ones. At this stage of our journey, we consider every piece of feedback as golden, guiding us toward improvement. The reactions typically fell into three categories:
a. "Wow, this is great and very innovative! How did you come up with this idea? When did you start?"
b. "I'm a startup founder/aspiring entrepreneur - why do I need you? Can't my neighborhood lawyer handle all my legal issues?"
c. "Do you have your own AI, or do you use ChatGPT? What makes you different?"
The enthusiasm and genuine curiosity from potential users motivated us to be the first to open our booth each day and the last to leave. Beyond addressing these questions, my co-founder and I, as seasoned entrepreneurs who have worked across multiple startup ecosystems, made some interesting observations:
First, India's startup ecosystem, despite its rapid growth, is still in its youth. Many people haven't yet grasped that startups can evolve into industry giants. The successful IPOs of companies like Zomato and its inclusion in the Nifty 50 in 2024 serve as powerful examples of this potential.
Second, there's a widespread underestimation of the financial implications of non-compliance with regulations. The potential costs and debts that can accumulate due to regulatory oversights are often overlooked.
Here's how we addressed the common questions:
Origins and Evolution
We identified a crucial gap in the market: startups need enterprise-level legal support but often can't afford traditional solutions like retainer lawyers. In an era where SaaS and Agentic AIs are revolutionizing every sector, why should legal services be left behind? Our journey began three years ago in London, and the emergence of ChatGPT and other LLMs has only validated our vision.
Value Proposition
The distinction between using LawSeek and a neighborhood lawyer is analogous to choosing between a local mechanic and a specialized aviation engineer for your private jet. While we fully support engaging local lawyers for their areas of expertise - and we're actively working to bring them onto our platform after thorough vetting - we advocate for matching the right expertise with specific legal needs. Our mission is to connect clients with appropriate legal professionals while providing lawyers with efficient tools to automate tedious tasks, ultimately reducing costs for clients while increasing lawyers' earnings.
Technology Approach
While we don't develop our own LLM models (even though DeepSeek has shown it's not impossible to compete with OpenAI), we've focused on creating something unique. Our proprietary Chain of Thought reasoning and RAG-based algorithms think and communicate like a law firm, minimizing hallucinations and eliminating the need for users to keep pace with rapidly evolving AI technology. We handle the complex prompt engineering, ensuring that senior lawyers' expertise is seamlessly transferred across the organization.
Moving Forward
With our team now back across Hyderabad, Delhi, Kochi, Jabalpur and Roorkee, our focus shifts to:
a. Onboarding interested teams onto our ZenGuide platform
b. Connecting founders with expert legal professionals through ZenConnect
c. Following up on promising investor discussions
d. Exploring partnerships with incubators and universities
The cherry on top? We concluded our trip with two unforgettable days in Rishikesh, where we took a refreshing dip in the holy Ganga, forged deeper team connections, shared personal stories and aspirations, and met fascinating fellow travelers at the Zostel.