San Francisco-based startup Athena has secured $2.5 million in a pre-seed funding round led by a16z. The company operates a dual-structure model, combining an AI-powered services platform with an affiliated law firm, Athena Circle, to handle commercial property transactions.
The startup provides AI agents that review agreements, identify anomalies, draft redlines, and prepare correspondence. Athena Circle attorneys oversee all legal decisions and final approvals. The firm charges a fixed fee per transaction, which is typically 30-50% lower than standard market rates for similar services.
Since its public launch in August, Athena has acquired 22 clients. The company reports that its system reduced attorney review time by over 70% during the first six weeks of operation. In one instance, the team completed a purchase agreement in under 48 hours.
The founders, Cem Ucan and Kieran John Keenan, previously worked at Legora. Athena plans to use the new capital to expand its services into additional property types, new geographic locations, and further areas of transactional law.
