Julien Emery, CEO and co-founder of Superpanel, is tackling a deeply personal challenge in the legal industry: the inefficient and often overwhelming process of client intake. As a Canadian who experienced both the high cost and emotional toll of accessing legal services—especially after his mother’s car accident, which led to a life-changing settlement—Emery saw firsthand how daunting and fragmented the system can be. He describes the traditional intake process as a “maze of forms, phone calls, and dropped leads,” which deters many from seeking help, while burdening law firms with manual, error-prone work. In 2024, Emery and his co-founder Dingyu Zhang, an AI expert, launched Superpanel to automate and streamline legal intake for plaintiff law firms. Leveraging advances in artificial intelligence, the platform acts as a “digital teammate,” engaging clients across multiple channels—phone, text, email, and online forms—to collect their stories, guide them through documentation, and assess case details like jurisdiction and case type. The system intelligently handles up to half of the intake workload, automatically routing ambiguous or complex cases to human team members for escalation. This hybrid model ensures accuracy, compliance, and a seamless client experience. Superpanel recently raised $5.3 million in a seed round co-led by Outlander VC and Field Ventures, with additional participation from LOI Venture (co-founded by Hootsuite’s founder), Zenda Capital, 8-Bit Capital, and Behind Genius Ventures. Emery credits his prior startup experience—especially his time at Hootsuite and founding Allay, a health insurance underwriting platform that exited to Novo Benefits—for helping him connect with key investors. The funding will be used to accelerate hiring and expand the platform’s AI-driven capabilities, particularly for plaintiff law firms. While Superpanel operates in a competitive landscape—including players like Clio Grow, LegalClerk.ai, MyCase, and Whippy.ai—it aims to differentiate itself by offering a continuous, AI-powered client journey that mirrors the instant, self-serve digital experiences consumers now expect. Emery emphasizes that the platform isn’t just about automation; it’s about trust, consistency, and empathy in a system often perceived as cold and inaccessible. Industry observers note that legal tech is undergoing a significant AI-driven transformation, with intake automation emerging as a high-impact area. Experts highlight that Superpanel’s focus on multi-channel client engagement and human-AI collaboration could set it apart in a market where user experience is increasingly critical. With strong early backing and a mission rooted in real-world pain points, Superpanel is positioned to become a key player in redefining how legal services are accessed and delivered.