UK employment rights legaltech platform Valla has secured £2 million in seed funding to democratise access to justice for millions across the UK.
Founded by CEO Danae Shell, Valla tackles a staggering national challenge: the 12.4 million workers who are affected by non-compliance with employment laws annually, according to the Resolution Foundation, yet find themselves priced out of traditional legal support.
The platform radically simplifies the legal process by enabling users to collect evidence, generate necessary documentation, and get fixed-price expert support without incurring the substantial costs typically associated with conventional services.
I spoke to Shell to find out more.
She shared that she founded Valla after recognising a recurring problem: talented people facing workplace challenges would simply resign because legal help was prohibitively expensive and complex.
Even those earning decent salaries couldn’t access proper legal support.
“Having previously democratised financial advice and accounting services through technology, I knew we could transform legal services in the same way.
Our premise was simple: if we can build apps that handle tax returns on your phone, we can create something that empowers you to navigate your own legal challenges.”
Valla’s platform helps people run their own legal case for employment law.
Users can collect evidence and generate legal documents through the platform and then talk to real legal experts who will “coach” them through the legal process at each stage.
For example, a user may start using Valla just to keep track of an issue at work, then use the platform to write their Tribunal claim, then buy a coaching package to prepare for their preliminary hearing.
Shell explained:
“The GenAI engine in our platform acts as a legal secretary in the background — it does everything from briefing the coach on the case, taking notes and actions during any calls, and picking up all the admin and reminders as the case progresses.“
Valla can also support people working for startups — “this is how we started”, reveals Shell, “seeing problems in the startup industry and then realising that these problems are widespread. “
Ada Ventures led the round alongside Active Partners and Portfolio Ventures. Techstart Ventures, who led the company’s first round, and existing backer Resolution Foundation have doubled down on their investment.
A critical opportunity for worker protections
The investment arrives at a particularly timely moment as Parliament debates the Employment Rights Bill, signalling heightened focus on strengthening worker protections nationwide.
Shell believes that the Employment Rights Bill will correct one of the biggest issues for workers in the UK –- needing to wait for two years to get protection from something as simple as unfair dismissal.
“Unfortunately, the bill will do nothing to make legal support for enforcing that right any easier, which is why our platform is so important — more people will need good quality, affordable support, which makes Valla even more relevant.”
Since launch, Valla has empowered over 12,000 workers to successfully raise complaints, negotiate settlements, and navigate the complex Tribunal process with confidence.
Demand for the platform’s affordable services have more than doubled year on year; costs range from just £10 for a template to £250 for three hours of support from an employment law expert.
Shell asserts that “I’ll know we’ve been successful in the next year when we see the second-order impact of our service — not only will many more people have used Valla, but also unions are recruiting more members, and Tribunals are able to spend less time on cases as the quality of claims improves.”
“We’ll know we’ve succeeded when we start seeing the impact of a better informed, better supported workforce in the UK.”
The company recently received additional validation through a £75,000 Innovate UK award, recognising Shell’s pioneering approach to widening access to justice.
According to Check Warner, Founding Partner at Ada Ventures:
“Valla exemplifies precisely the kind of game-changing vision we’re passionate about supporting.
They’ve spotted a vast, overlooked market and used emerging technology to create an innovative new solution that was impossible even a few years ago.
As AI reshapes traditional legal billing models, Valla’s transparent, accessible approach perfectly positions them to become the definitive platform for workplace rights.”
According to Shell, Valla has already started working with unions, noting, “it’s a natural partnership — they have increasing demand for legal support, and we have worker-centric tools and services that make that support much more affordable.
Working with Valla will ultimately help unions recruit more members, growing their bargaining power and impact.”
Growth plans for dramatic market expansion
The fresh capital will fuel Valla’s ambitious plans to:
- Dramatically expand market reach through enhanced marketing initiatives
- Create additional AI-augmented tools that further slash costs for consumers
- Forge strategic alliances with unions throughout 2025
“Valla is a great example of how technology and delivery model innovation can open huge new markets in traditional industries like legal,” Shell added.
“We’re building new types of services for individuals who would otherwise fall through the gaps in the current system.”
Lead image: Valla CEO Dana Shell. Photo: uncredited.
