Struggling Robin AI offloads managed services arm to Scissero

Struggling legal AI startup Robin AI has sold its managed services arm to UK-based Scissero in a "hand-in-glove" combination that comes just weeks after Robin was put up for sale.

The deal creates a larger platform offering tech and managed legal support which Scissero says positions it as a "London-based legal tech powerhouse" for major corporates.

Robin’s contract review and drafting assistant technology is not part of the deal.

Client boost

The acquisition gives Scissero an instant boost to its client roster bringing its total to more than 100 companies including Pfizer, GE and UBS. Scissero’s pitch is a vertically integrated offering combining regulated legal expertise and agentic AI, particularly in M&A ancillary documents, NDAs and other high-volume contracting.

Robin finds a branch

For Robin, the deal is the latest turn in what's been a turbulent year. The legal AI startup that quickly rose to prominence in the run-up to the generative AI revolution and was co-founded by former Clifford Chance lawyer Richard Robinson.

After plans to raise fresh capital fell through, the company cut jobs and began looking for a buyer. HMRC then issued a winding-up petition to recoup unpaid taxes and the company entered a distressed sale process. The sale of its managed services gives the unit a new home and provides some breathing room as the rest plays out.

Consolidation is the name of the game

Scissero CEO Mathias Strasser, said: "The AI-enabled legal services market is entering a period of meaningful consolidation, and the UK is exceptionally well placed to lead the next wave of innovation in AI and legal technology."

For Scissero, the acquisition strengthens its delivery model and brings additional scale at a time when buyers of legal tech are increasingly looking for integrated end-to-end solutions rather than one-off tools.

Earlier this year, shortly after Harvey announced its alliance with LexisNexis, Canadian legal tech company Clio acquired vLex for $1 billion, one of the sector’s largest deals yet. These are standout moves within a wider wave of legal-tech M&A and fundraising activity, some of which is not publicly disclosed.

A new home

Robinson called the acquisition an "exciting new chapter" and said that Scissero is the "ideal home for our managed services business". As part of the transaction, the managed services leaders, VP legal Olivia Vaughan and global head of legal Ryan Cattle, will move across to Scissero.