Empathy raises $13 million

Empathy, a platform helping families navigate the journey they face after losing a loved one, announced the launch of its application on iOS and Android for users across the US. The Israeli startup is also disclosing a $13 million seed round co-led by General Catalyst and Aleph.

Empathy provides a digital companion app to streamline end-of-life action items and help families make informed decisions and avoid common mistakes. The app, which has a one-time cost of $65 (plus a 30-day free trial), offers resources such as in-depth articles, checklists, and audio chapters, as well as human support via chat. The app creates a personalized path for each user depending on their specific needs, and some of the areas Empathy can help with include the funeral, informing others, paperwork, the will, bills & debt, taxes, and applying for benefits. The app also enables users to upload and organize important documents in a secure vault, and it can connect them with local professionals to accomplish different tasks.

“It’s the inherent optimism of human nature that causes us to avoid talking about death. But because we don’t discuss it, we miss out on important opportunities to innovate and provide families with technology that can help them manage some of life’s most challenging moments — and this leaves families overwhelmed and underserved. Logistics are made hard by grief, and grief is made harder by logistics. Software can and will play a huge role in helping families deal with loss and will hopefully drive a much needed change in the industry at large.” – Ron Gura, cofounder and CEO of Empathy.

“The end-of-life industry is a large sector that has been untouched by the wave of digital transformation occurring in every other industry. Empathy is unique in that it addresses both the emotional and logistical anguish of loss. We believe this is the technology and experience that can greatly benefit every family.” – Joel Cutler, cofounder and managing director at General Catalyst.

“The Empathy team is directing their vast experience in consumer software to significantly improve how people handle the burdens that come with death. When grieving, many families do not have the bandwidth to deal with tasks and bureaucracy. By combining financial technology and emotional understanding, Empathy has built a product for the next-of kin with compassion at its core.” – Michael Eisenberg, cofounder and equal partner at Aleph.

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