The number one reason for attorney Bar complaints in the United States is lack of communication. This statistic stuck out to us during our diligence — how could these law firms be struggling to communicate in a world where technology can help?

This pain was personally felt by Hona’s co-founder and CEO, Manny Griffiths, after his wife was involved in a car crash. Together, they experienced a maze of complications and poor legal communication over two years. It’s an experience shared by thousands of Americans. He knew technology could help solve the frustrations and inefficiencies for both clients and their lawyers.

Law firms also feel this burden during legal proceedings, as client communications tend to be one of their most significant resource stressors. Legal teams spend an average of 30 hours monthly 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 for lawyers to focus on moving cases forward while 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 brings unique expertise: Manny was one of the top sales professionals at legal tech company Filevine; Josh proved himself capable of learning anything as a high-performing software engineer at Qualtrics; 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 friendship make them a standout founding team.

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. In just under two 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.

Amy Cheetham is a partner at Costanoa Ventures, where she focuses on investing in exceptional early-stage fintech and vertical SaaS startups. Before joining Costanoa, Amy worked at Zuora (NYSE: ZUO), an enterprise software company, where she ran North American sales strategy and operations. Prior to that, she spent three years investing in growth-stage technology companies at Summit Partners, where her investments include Podium, InfoArmor (acq. AllState) and onXmaps.