Three cohorts in, the LIZ's partnership with Innovate UK delivers real results for Canada's legal market
Four UK legal tech companies. Six months. Two visits to Toronto. And, for at least one of them, a paying client from one of Canada's Seven Sisters law firms before the programme even wrapped.
When global LawTech hub, the Legal Innovation Zone (LIZ) at Toronto Metropolitan University, talks about building a direct bridge between Canada and the UK, it isn't speaking metaphorically — it's describing a structured, funded, six-month programme that has now delivered three cohorts of British legal tech companies directly into the Canadian market.
“We believe there's inherent value in creating an innovation highway,” says Dr. Sasha Saunders, director of the LIZ. “Especially right now, for us in Canada, there’s much to be said for strengthening our relationships with the UK and providing their innovators the opportunity to bring their solutions to our market.”
Andrew North, project manager at Innovate UK, couldn’t agree more. From his perspective, the incubator programme provides “a rich opportunity” for the companies that partake.
“They’re able to detach themselves from their day-to-day business, immerse themselves in this experience, and get that first-hand exposure and insight. It’s invaluable.”
A rising tide lifts all boats
Now three cohorts in, the Global Incubator Programme is an initiative of Innovate UK delivered in partnership with the LIZ since 2023. Companies vying for the coveted spots made two funded visits to Toronto over six months. The first focuses on customer discovery and ecosystem immersion and the second on showcasing progress and closing relationships. Between visits, the LIZ provided one-on-one mentorship, expert workshops, and access to its network.
Selection is competitive and deliberate. Innovate UK looked for ambitious companies with genuinely novel, disruptive solutions who are willing to engage completely with the process.
“We want companies who will take full advantage of the vast expertise, mentors and connections within the LIZ,” North notes.
All selected companies have also already identified Canada as a strategic target — putting a pin in the map, as North puts it — before they even applied. With a legal system that aligns with their own, it’s an easier entry point than other international markets.
The LIZ, Saunders notes, serves as “a safe launch pad into the country and continent,” preparing UK companies for the broader Canadian and North American market. It’s not just about grasping geography, however. Different provincial jurisdictions create a diverse legal landscape that’s often regional in nature and demands technology that can accommodate that complex reality.
“There's a lot for an incoming UK-based company to learn about us,” Saunders says. “It's not just about the market; learning the nuances of our legal landscape is really critical, and even subtle cultural differences can be consequential.”
Every round, Saunders sees the same curiosity and enthusiasm from the Canadian legal market, pointing to well-attended networking and demo events as proof of a “real interest in these solutions and the traction they’ve had in the UK.”
If any of the cohort identifies an unmet need and can address it, it’s win-win. The companies are ambitious about expanding into the Canadian market — in this most recent group, some businesses acquired customers including from major Bay Street firms — which can lead to job creation for Canadians and better solutions for consumers of legal services here.
“That two-way flow is exactly the point; it’s a two-way ocean, literally and metaphorically,” Saunders says. “More competition improves quality across the board and often provides opportunities for collaboration, a rising tide lifts all boats.”
The cohort connection
Of the four companies selected for Cohort 3, no two are alike in solution, customer, or stage of growth. Edenreach makes access to justice investable; Kuberno modernizes how organizations manage complex entity data; PetPact brings legal protection to an overlooked corner of estate planning; and Sloc automates the economics of merger control. What they do share, however, is a growth mindset.
“Inevitably they're thrown curveballs that give pause to reconsider their initial game plan,” Saunders says. “Sometimes that can be highly frustrating, but it can also present new and exciting opportunities that none of us anticipated at the outset. Doing that discovery work on the ground might uncover another channel to market or another segment who'd really benefit.”
The immersion extends beyond the formal agenda as well. The programme purposefully selects a portfolio of non-competing companies, and the dynamic that emerges between the cohort is one of the experience’s most underrated assets.
“They form a strong bond with a great understanding of each other’s business: we want them to say hey, this person I met isn’t right for me, but they might be a good fit for you,” North explains. “They build strong, long-lasting, supportive relationships.”
Back in the UK, the real work begins. Over the following months, each company is supported further around their individual action plan shaped by what they discovered. Every business is different and the programme allows for that, North notes, adding “that’s the beauty of the LIZ and Innovate UK working together.”
Further down the innovation highway
The legal profession has been notoriously cautious about new technology, but we are now well into an era of unprecedented transformation. LLMs have become more sophisticated and evolved into AI agents, which will continue reshaping how legal professionals work, and critically, what clients expect.
“While we must think critically and be responsible about engaging with technology, we should be asking how do we leverage tools to flip the script and become a greater enabler,” Saunders explains. “The companies we bring over are focused on creating value and answering that question. The programme encourages innovators to address gaps that, in 2026, we shouldn't still be seeing.”
In the wake of the LIZ’s tenth anniversary, it’s about continuing to forge ahead on the innovation highway and create an easier path for legal tech start-ups and scale-ups. Colleagues in the UK and Europe express a real appetite to build and strengthen relationships with Canada, which is a great thing for everyone, Saunders says.
Chief among those partners is Innovate UK.
“We want to see businesses with their eyes wide open, looking at the big world, knowing they can take a step forward,” North says. “We're the connectors, locally and internationally, working through partners like the LIZ. They’ve become an extension of Innovate UK support, and we selected them for good reason. They’re the experts in the field and in that marketplace.”
As a global legal tech hub bridging the gap between innovators and the legal community, the Legal Innovation Zone (LIZ) supports those looking to develop the skills and solutions that drive value.
“To fully capitalize on the opportunities that innovation presents, the industry must adopt a dual mindset,” Saunders says. “We must be both risk-aware and genuinely curious about ways to do things better.”
