The College warmly congratulates Matt Jarrett (MBA, 2024) who was a funding winner at the University’s All-Innovate idea competition with his startup, NextStep. We asked him to tell us about his winning idea.
Can you tell us a bit about your start-up NextStep and what you’re aiming to do?
NextStep is a digital-first legal services firm, initially focusing on conveyancing. We use artificial intelligence and process automation to transform property transactions into a fast, accurate, and stress-free experience.
Currently, legal AI tools are highly capable of many legal tasks but are really only being used by large corporate law firms. My goal is to bring the efficiencies of these ‘big law’ tools to a small-firm environment. Ultimately, we plan to expand into other areas such as wills, probate, and divorce, modernising the wider legal sector.
What do you think most impressed the judges about your ideas at the All-Innovate competition?
I believe the judges were most impressed by how NextStep leverages technology to solve real customer pain points; specifically, the stress, delays, and opacity often associated with conveyancing. “AI” and “automation” are easy buzzwords to throw around, but at NextStep the focus is on transforming a traditionally cumbersome process. Technology is just an enabler to deliver an improved customer experience.
What are the next steps for you?
I am finishing my studies in June and intend to focus on NextStep full-time following graduation. The immediate next step is to refine our automated workflows and begin pilot testing. Following this, we will refine our technology based on initial user feedback, establish key partnerships with real estate agents and technology providers, and prepare for a wider market launch. Longer-term, we’re excited to expand into other key areas of everyday legal practice.
What do you enjoy about being at Queen’s?
The diversity of people. It’s a real privilege to sit in the dining hall amongst people with such interesting and varied backgrounds. Coming from Australia, the college system is a foreign and unique concept, but I love the opportunities it provides for unexpected meetings and stimulating conversations.
Can you recommend a book?
I recently read Supremacy, by Parmy Olsen, which is about the intertwined rise of the world’s leading AI companies, Open AI (developer of ChatGPT) and DeepMind (developer of Gemini). It’s a fascinating and timely story, all the more so as these companies, and the technologies they develop, increasingly shape our daily lives.
