Legal support for startups that actually build AI.
GDPR, the EU AI Act, DPAs, SaaS agreements and IP – in one place, with an AI lawyer tuned to the exact questions that come up when you build an AI product in Europe.
The questions every AI startup asks
We see the same four questions again and again from AI companies.
We build on OpenAI/Anthropic – is that GDPR compliant?
Third-country transfers require SCCs plus a transfer impact assessment. We explain when SCCs are enough and when you have to move to an EU region.
How does the EU AI Act classify our AI feature?
Risk classification decides everything. A CV screener is 'high-risk' (Annex III); a chatbot is only 'limited risk'. We map your product against the AI Act's articles.
May we train on customer data?
Purpose, legal basis and information duties must line up. A standard DPA is rarely enough – you need a specific basis and transparency.
How do we protect our model against prompt injection leaks?
Security and contract work in parallel: technical controls + an acceptable use policy + disclaimers + a cap on liability.
Six milestones every founder should handle proactively
Business law for growth companies is rarely about reading the statute book. It is about building a corporate structure that survives growth, investors and conflict – without slowing you down.
The shareholders' agreement – the company's constitution
The single most important document in a growth company. It governs power between the founders, handles exit scenarios and decides what happens when someone leaves, falls out or dies.
- Vesting on founder shares (4 years with a 1-year cliff) – without it a founder can leave after six months with 33% intact. That kills the next round.
- Drag along + tag along – the majority can pull the minority into an exit; the minority is protected from being left behind. A precondition for a trade sale.
- Quorum and veto rights – if the founders have already given them away internally, the investor negotiation becomes untenable.
Intellectual property – put ownership in the company from day one
The most common mistake: code, trademark or product design owned personally by a founder – or worse, by a contractor who never assigned the rights. In due diligence the whole valuation collapses.
- IP assignment agreements with every founder, employee and contractor. Standard clauses in employment contracts rarely suffice for copyright under Swedish law.
- Register the trademark early – nationally first, EUIPO ahead of expansion.
- Manage open source in a structured way – copyleft (GPL, AGPL) can contaminate proprietary code and make the company unsellable.
Employment and option programmes
Growth companies compete for talent without matching corporate salaries. Qualified employee stock options (QESO) are the most tax-efficient tool – but the rules are formalistic.
- Make sure the company meets the QESO criteria (<150 employees, <SEK 280m turnover, no financial services activity).
- A defective programme can be taxed as salary – document the grant correctly.
- Non-compete and non-solicit clauses for key people – Swedish law is restrictive, but well-drafted clauses hold up nine times out of ten.
Commercial contracts that scale
Early customer contracts often carry personal undertakings, unlimited liability or exclusivity clauses that block future business.
- Run a contract inventory before ARR passes a few million.
- Identify clauses that will not survive investor due diligence and renegotiate strategically at renewal.
- Standardise a master agreement with liability caps, IP clauses and a GDPR-compliant DPA – it saves months in the next round.
Fundraising – term sheet, due diligence, closing
A term sheet is not legally binding, but every point accepted there is almost impossible to negotiate away later.
- Liquidation preference – 1x non-participating is market standard in the Nordics. Multiples or participating preferences erode the founders' exit.
- Anti-dilution – broad-based weighted average is reasonable; full ratchet is aggressive and should be avoided.
- Option pool (ESOP) – investors often demand the pool is expanded before the round, meaning founders alone carry the dilution. Negotiate the pool size actively.
- DD timeline: companies with a clean share register, contracts, IP assignments and board minutes close in 6–8 weeks. Without order, many never close at all.
Board work and corporate governance
When external investors come in, the board's role changes. Minutes, decision materials and conflict-of-interest handling must meet a higher standard.
- Quarterly board meetings with written decision materials.
- An up-to-date authorisation matrix and a clear split of duties between board and CEO.
- This is not bureaucracy – it is what separates an investable company from one in permanent firefighting mode.
Three rules for founders
1. Structure early, even when it feels unnecessary. Shareholders' agreements, vesting and IP assignments cost little to get right – and an enormous amount to fix afterwards.
2. Treat every contract as a future due diligence question. If you would not want to show it to an investor, do not sign it.
3. Get legal advice before the term sheet – not after. The negotiating room exists before, not after, the headline terms are agreed.
Ask your question – get an answer tuned to AI legal issues
The same engine as the platform chat, but with a system prompt that prioritises GDPR, the EU AI Act, IP, liability and B2B contracts, in that order.
The EU AI Act – complete guide
Risk categories, GPAI duties, timeline 2025–2027, penalties.
AI & GDPR – practical guide
Legal basis, purpose, DPIA and third-country transfers for AI systems.
Legal requirements on AI systems
Overview: product liability, data protection, sector rules, IP.
Contract template for AI delivery
Standard clauses for SLA, IP, training data and liability caps.
Ethical guidelines & AI policy
Template for an internal AI policy under AI Act art. 4 (AI literacy).
Liability for AI harm
How is liability allocated? Product Liability Directive + AI liability.
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