Global firm confirms roles in four recent deals
The private equity and venture capital team at Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) has been busy, with the firm confirming its role in four recent deals.
The firm advised Roborigger in securing its Series A raise. The round was led by Blackbird Ventures.
Roborigger, which makes technology that makes crane operations safer, was advised by a team led by Peter Dunne, partner and head of venture capital in Australia, and Elizabeth Henderson, consultant.
Derick Markwell, Roborigger founder and managing director, said that his team “worked really well with the Herbert Smith Freehills team as they understood the needs of all parties and provided sensible advice that allowed the documentation and negotiations to be completed with a minimum of fuss.”
Dunne also led the team that advised Dovetail in its seed capital raise, which was also led by Blackbird. Dovetail makes it easier to centralise user research and customer feedback data through its cloud-based technologies.
For the Dovetail deal, Dunne was supported by solicitors Myra Beal and Lisa Alderson. Dunne said that it was a pleasure to work with founders Benjamin Humphrey and Bradley Ayers.
Humphrey, who is Dovetail’s chief executive, said: “Peter and his team’s first-hand experience working with technology startups in Australia helped us navigate the waters of our first capital raise, and they were fantastic to work with throughout the entire investment process.”
Dunne and Henderson also led the team that advised Reejig on its seed capital raising, which was led by Right Click Capital. Reejig uses big data, deep learning, and AI to help customers find, recruit, and move talent.
Dunne said that Reejig is a “terrific example of great founder talent coupled with technology capability.” He said the team enjoyed working with founders Siobhan Savage, Mike Reed, and Dr Shujia Zhang.
HSF also advised NEXL on its seed capital raise, with a team headed by Dunne and Beal. Australian venture capital firm Investible led the round.
NEXL is a legaltech start-up that helps law firms expand their referral network and provide global services to clients. Peter Dunne said: “It’s fantastic to see great innovation in the legal industry. We have enjoyed working with NEXL founder, Philipp Thurner, and his team, and being part of the company’s journey. NEXL will be a great asset to lawyers looking for cross-border work and collaboration.”
The help from HSF has gained praise from Thurner, chief executive of NEXL.
“For a first-time founder, it is really scary raising funds. I am extremely thankful for having Peter and the team at HSF on my side who have not only helped on the legal side but have become a trusted advisor to the business and myself. Peter has come up with a creative strategy to fund our early stages and has led us through a successful Seed round. To be honest, I wouldn’t have been able to do it without them,” Thurner said.
