Death tech companies provide alternatives to century-old rituals
Death tech startups are disrupting traditional death and mourning rituals in our increasingly digital world. Let’s face it, it’s been a long time coming. Following centuries-old death rituals have become more of a habit because we don’t know any different. Death and mourning have been wrapped in religious practices which can seem dated and none individualistic.
The following companies provide digital services for dealing with grief and sustainable alternatives to traditional burials.
Bank of Memories
Bank of Memories was started in the Ukraine and the US. It digitizes family memories and converts them into non-fungible tokens (NFTs) for secure and cost-effective storage. Bank of Memories allows users to retain full ownership of their data and control access to it. Users can also send messages into the future to their loved ones on specific future dates.
Grievy
Grievy is a German app-based startup that provides personalized self-help plans with access to mental health experts. Grieving individuals can learn healthy coping strategies through the app, which fills the gap left by long waiting times and high costs associated with traditional support services like counseling.
Kindly Earth
Kindly Earth was founded in the UK in 2020 and is a leader in green alternatives to traditional cremations and burials. The startup focuses on promoting the use of Resomation, also known as Alkaline Hydrolysis or Water Cremation. This eco-friendly process accelerates the natural decomposition of the body, transforming the remains into a sustainable urn-friendly white powder. With the UK’s leading funeral provider, Co-op Funeralcare, set to pioneer the introduction of Resomation in the country, this marks a significant shift in funeral practices after more than a century.
Window of Memories
Window of Memories was founded in Spain in 2018 and is a digital platform for family and friends of the deceased to share images, drawings, and messages of condolences at funeral wakes. Mourners can use a QR code or an app to contribute in person. The company also offers digital book compilations of shared memories and live broadcasts of farewell ceremonies and services across multiple countries.
Exizent
Exizent was founded in Scotland in 2018 and is an industry platform connecting professionals who manage the legalities following death. By linking data and services used by legal firms, institutions, and executors, Exizent streamlines the process for the bereaved, speeding up procedures, and easing the burden on those coping with loss. In 2020, the company secured $4.1 million in funding to increase its services.
HEREweHOLO
HEREweHOLO is based in the Netherlands and creates life-sized holograms with prerecorded messages. The holograms are primarily used in entertainment and product presentation, but notably, individuals can prerecord messages to be delivered at their own funeral, allowing them to have a say in how they are remembered even after their death.
Meine Erde
Meine Erde is a German startup founded in 2021 that is revolutionizing funeral services by returning the human body to nature in an eco-friendly way. Natural microorganisms and plant materials are used to transform the deceased into fertile soil over 40 days which is free from chemicals or pollutants. Traditional cremation is not good for the environment, so Meine Erde’s process avoids producing ash which has heavy metals. The company also offers funeral insurance, enabling customers to plan their last rites in a sustainable way.
And Vinyly
For those seeking a unique way to memorialize their loved ones, the UK’s And Vinyly can turn ashes into custom vinyl records. By incorporating traditional vinyl production techniques and specialist processes, the company creates real vinyl records containing a small amount of the deceased’s ashes, preserving memories through music and personalized messages.
The death tech industry is transforming the way we approach death and bereavement. From streamlined bereavement processes and holographic memorials to eco-friendly funeral practices and digital legacy preservation, these companies are providing services as an alternative to traditional death practices. As they continue to evolve and grow, they will have a profound effect on the future of death and remembrance.
Ginger Liu is the founder of Hollywood’s Ginger Media & Entertainment, a Ph.D. Researcher in artificial intelligence and visual arts media — specifically grief tech, digital afterlife, AI, death and mourning practices, AI and photography, biometrics, security, and policy, and an author, writer, artist photographer, and filmmaker. Listen to the Podcast — The Digital Afterlife of Grief.
