Legalbase

Legalbase, operating under Legalbase Digital GmbH, was a Berlin-based legal technology company established in 2015 by a team of co-founders: Daniel Biene, Christoph Jenke, and Peter Schink. Dr. Daniel Biene, a lawyer with a German-American education and experience in media management, had previously founded and successfully sold another legal tech startup, Smartlaw, to Wolters Kluwer, establishing him as a serial entrepreneur in the sector. Christoph Jenke brought experience in business development from major publishing houses, while Peter Schink, a journalist and product development manager, contributed his expertise in digital media.

The company launched its online platform, legalbase.de, with the mission to simplify access to legal services for both private individuals and businesses. It functioned as a marketplace connecting clients with a network of independent attorneys for standardized legal tasks, such as company formation or trademark applications, at transparent, fixed prices. This model aimed to demystify legal costs and streamline the process by allowing users to select a lawyer and provide initial case details directly through the platform. The business garnered significant attention by securing a seven-figure seed investment from notable backers including the major US online legal services provider LegalZoom.

Despite its promising start, Legalbase faced a critical challenge less than a year after its launch. In February 2017, the company was compelled to file for insolvency after a planned two-million-euro follow-up funding round unexpectedly fell through. However, this was not the end of its operations. In March 2017, its primary investor, LegalZoom, acquired the company out of insolvency, creating LegalZoom Germany to continue the business. Following the acquisition, co-founder Daniel Biene departed, and Christoph Jenke remained to manage the operative business. A few months later, in July 2017, a strategic partnership was announced with firma.de, a German platform for company formation services. The collaboration intended to merge Legalbase's offerings into the firma.de platform, creating a more comprehensive service hub for entrepreneurs. Ultimately, Legalbase was absorbed into its parent companies' structures and is no longer active as an independent entity.

Keywords: Legalbase, legal technology, legal marketplace, fixed-price legal services, Daniel Biene, Christoph Jenke, Peter Schink, LegalZoom acquisition, German startup, legal services platform, online law, startup law, company formation, trademark registration, legal tech insolvency, Smartlaw founder, firma.de partnership, Wolters Kluwer, legal service marketplace, transparent pricing law, online legal advice, Berlin legal tech, B2B legal services, B2C legal solutions