Hanzo has been granted a new patent for its Spotlight AI technology, strengthening the company's position in applying generative artificial intelligence to collaboration data analysis. The patent protects Hanzo's approach to generating actionable AI signals from dynamic, unstructured collaboration environments such as Slack, Teams, and Confluence, where traditional eDiscovery tools struggle to operate effectively at scale.
Keyword searches often fail to capture the context of modern chat platforms, creating challenges for legal and compliance teams. Hanzo addresses this challenge with Spotlight Signals, a GenAI-powered capability that interprets the human element of collaboration data. By mapping relationships, sentiment, and behavioral changes as they evolve, Spotlight Signals identifies genuine risk and relevance while filtering out noise. This approach provides teams with defensible, explainable signals, enabling them to identify critical issues without wading through false positives.
In production environments, this approach has delivered up to a 99% reduction in data volumes requiring human review, significantly accelerating investigations, audits, and eDiscovery workflows while reducing costs and operational burdens. Dave Ruel, VP of Product at Hanzo, stated that the patent validates the company's conviction that modern collaboration data requires a fundamentally new approach. "You cannot solve today's complex data challenges with yesterday's keyword searches," Ruel said. "Spotlight Signals is designed for the complexity, scale, and nuance of how teams actually work today."
The announcement builds on Hanzo's breakthrough industry awards for AI innovation in 2023, 2024, and recently in 2025, further validating the company's position as a leader in applying generative AI to complex data types. Unlike generic AI tools adapted for enterprise use, Hanzo's technology is purpose-built for modern collaboration data with high-stakes audits, investigations, and eDiscovery requirements. For more information about Hanzo's technology solutions, visit https://www.hanzo.co.
With this latest patent, Hanzo continues to extend its leadership in generative AI for collaboration intelligence, helping in-house legal teams move faster, reduce legal fees, and make decisions earlier while maintaining accuracy, defensibility, and trust. The technology's ability to understand the context of human chat conversations rather than just analyzing text represents a significant advancement in how organizations can manage the growing volume of collaboration data generated across modern workplace platforms.
