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Based in Lehi, Utah, Hona has created a vastly improved client experience with a product that facilitates better communication between law firms and their clients throughout the entire legal process. The results lead to happier clients and more efficient, profitable law firms. That’s why we’re excited to announce that we led Hona’s Series A, with participation from Ludlow Ventures, Soma Capital, and Y-Combinator.
For the last 12 years, we have supported founders who rethink how business gets done. Today, we’re excited to announce what we believe to be a perfect example: Hona is revolutionizing client communications for law firms, addressing a long-standing pain point with a fresh, tech-driven approach rooted in personal experiences of the founding team.
The #1 reason for Attorney Bar complaints in the U.S. is a lack of communication. This statistic really stuck out to us during our diligence–how could all these law firms be struggling to communicate in a world where technology can help?
Old Industry, Tough Problems
This pain was personally felt by Hona’s CEO & Co-Founder, Manny Griffiths, after his wife was involved in a car crash. Together, they experienced the maze of complications and poor legal communication over the course of 2 years. All throughout the process, Manny knew that technology could do so much to solve the frustrations and inefficiencies faced by thousands of Americans.
Law firms also feel this burden during legal proceedings, when client communications tend to be one of their largest resource-stressors. Legal teams spend an average of 30 hours per month on time-consuming updates and redundant communication. Clients frequently call firms for case updates, legal explanations, or general administrative questions that eat away at firm resources without actually progressing toward case resolution. Efficient communication is critical to allow lawyers to focus on moving cases forward, while still keeping their clients informed and educated.
That’s why Manny and his co-founders, Josh Christensen and Matt McClellan, founded Hona in 2021. This talented trio each bring unique expertise: Manny was one of the top sales professionals at Filevine, Josh was “one of the hardest working and lowest ego software engineers” at Qualtrics, proving himself capable of learning anything, and Matt previously founded a successful commercial cleaning services business in addition to his time in sales at Filevine. We believe their combination of skills, deep understanding of the legal landscape, and their friendship makes them a standout founding team.
Making Communications Clear
Hona is fundamentally a communications platform that facilitates text-based interactions between law firms and their clients. By allowing firms to send case updates, reminders, and links via text, Hona replaces less efficient communication methods like emails, which can get lost, and phone calls, which often go unanswered. This texting capability is just the entry point to Hona’s more comprehensive product offering—a white-labeled web application that seamlessly integrates with a law firm’s existing CRM. This web-app is fully customizable, providing a seamless client experience that aligns with the firm’s digital presence.
It’s always an honor to partner with startups, and we’re excited to join Hona on their journey to make a meaningful impact in the legal sector. The company has been growing rapidly; in just under 2 years, they’ve helped streamline communication for over 240,000 legal matters. Manny, Josh, and Matt are exceptional founders whose dedication to continuous learning positions them and Hona well for continued success. And they’re just getting started – we can’t wait to see what they’ll achieve.
