Birmingham Entrepreneur Launches GitLaw to Offer Free Legal Resources for Startups

By Anushka Malhotra

1 minute 14 seconds

Tech

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Quick Read: Tech entrepreneur Nick Holzherr launches GitLaw, a free platform offering legal document templates to help startups and small businesses overcome expensive legal hurdles.

Birmingham-based tech entrepreneur Nick Holzherr has unveiled GitLaw, a new platform designed to address the high costs of legal support for startups and growing businesses.

GitLaw provides free access to hundreds of legal document templates that users can download or customise. The platform also allows businesses to contribute their own templates and suggest updates to existing documents, fostering a collaborative, open-source approach to legal resources.

Photo: Nick Holzherr, Credit: GitLaw

The majority of the templates have been developed by law firms, solicitors, investors, and other organisations, covering essential agreements such as non-disclosure agreements, employment contracts, and privacy policies.

Nick Holzherr, known for founding recipe website Whisk, which he pitched on The Apprentice before selling it to Samsung in 2019, is one of the driving forces behind GitLaw. He highlighted the challenges small businesses face with legal issues, stating that 32% of small companies encounter legal problems annually, yet only a quarter can afford professional support. Holzherr said:

"The current legal system is unaffordable, with the balance tipped against those without significant financial resources. As a startup founder, I’ve personally struggled with navigating legal challenges on a tight budget and wished for a solution like this."

Initially targeting small businesses in the UK and US, GitLaw aims to create a dynamic, collaborative community. The platform’s medium-term goal includes expanding its coverage to civil law, while its long-term vision imagines a system where citizens can contribute to drafting and updating national legislation transparently.

The name GitLaw draws inspiration from Git technology, widely used in open-source software development, symbolising the platform’s mission of collaboration and transparency.

Holzherr believes GitLaw has the potential to democratise access to legal support for startups, enabling entrepreneurs to focus on innovation without the burden of prohibitive legal fees.

Find out more about Gitlaw at: https://gitlaw.co/explore

What's new

Midlands Propels Towards £1.5 Billion FinTech Economy with New Innovation Lab

The Midlands’ burgeoning FinTech sector has taken a leap forward with the launch of a cutting-edge FinTech Innovation Lab at Warwick Business School’s Gillmore Centre for Financial Technology. Supported by multimillion-pound investments, this new initiative aims to enhance research, develop advanced skills, and position the West Midlands as a global hub for FinTech innovation.

Over the next decade, FinTech is expected to contribute £1.5 billion to the Midlands economy and generate 4,600 new jobs. The lab will serve as a cornerstone of this transformation, fostering talent and collaboration between academia and industry.

Advancing FinTech Talent and Research

The lab is spearheaded by Professor Ram Gopal, head of the Gillmore Centre, who emphasised its dual focus on research and talent development.

“One of its key roles will be to create the next generation of talent in FinTech.”

Gopal said. The inaugural cohort is expected to include 60–80 students, with plans to expand to 100–120 in subsequent years.

Photo Credit: Warwick Business School

The lab offers a physical space where businesses and startups can collaborate with students to “sandbox” innovative solutions. Equipped with state-of-the-art technology, including high-powered computers, VR headsets, and large wall screens, the lab is already pioneering tools such as GillmoreAI, a generative AI platform for academic insights on FinTech, and dashboards for tracking cryptocurrencies and FinTech stock performance.

Spotlight on PropTech

A major focus of the Gillmore Centre is property technology (PropTech), one of the fastest-growing segments of the West Midlands’ tech industry. Around 40% of the region’s professional technology firms operate in the PropTech space.

With a £1.25 million anonymous donation, the centre has launched a dedicated research group to tackle inefficiencies in real estate finance. Professor Gopal highlighted the potential of combining PropTech and AI to reduce decision-making biases and streamline operations in the sector. He said

“Real estate is one of the biggest sectors of FinTech, but it’s riddled with inefficiencies. AI can help people make decisions that are both less prejudiced and more successful.”

Building the Future of FinTech

The Gillmore Centre was established five years ago with a £3 million donation from alumnus Clive Gillmore, founder of Mondrian Investment Partners. Its latest initiative, the FinTech Innovation Lab, reinforces its commitment to propelling the Midlands into the forefront of global financial technology.

By fostering collaboration between academia, industry, and emerging talent, the lab is expected to play a pivotal role in creating transformative solutions and supporting the Midlands’ journey to becoming an international FinTech powerhouse.

By Anushka Malhotra

9 Dec