Empathy Aibased 13mlundentechcrunch; Empathy, an AI-based digital assistant that helps families organize affairs after a death, emerged from stealth with $13M.
It was co-founded by Dr Sahra Motamedi and COO Fatemeh Shiravand as a result of their fellow Iranian parents’ struggles with death. The social media webpage is designed to help people through the difficult process of planning for and dealing with the life and death of loved ones who are diagnosed with terminal diseases. It has already been used by thousands of people in the US.
Empathy’s COO said, “All we did was listen to what people were saying and organize it into a format that could be streamlined.” She added, “It’s hard to express how grateful I am that we get to do this.” The platform aggregates information about funeral homes, cemeteries and memorial services. Users can also create a personalized service website and store important documents, like obituaries, wishes and even a farewell letter.
Empathy raised $9M in October 2017 from Shrug Capital, Omidyar Network and other angel investors. In its last round (Sept 2017) it raised $4.6M including an investment from Stanford University Endowment Cap.
In May 2018, Empathy raised $13.7 million from investors including former Morgan Stanley CEO John Mack and former “Today Show” executive producer Mike Shoemaker. In the same month, Empathy announced a partnership with funeral home The Funeral People to provide the service for families that want to ensure their loved ones are cared for after their death.
The company is based in San Francisco. The company’s name came from the founders’ empathy for those who have experienced life-altering loss. The company raised $4.6 million in September 2017. The company had previously raised $9 million in October 2017 from Shrug Capital, Omidyar Network and a group of other angel investors.
Empathy’s user model is based on the personal experience of Motamedi and Shiravand. Shiravand recalls the grief she felt after her father died of cancer at age 71, saying that she “had no idea how to navigate the process. It was a pretty stressful time.” Motamedi was going through a similar experience in 2016 when her father, who had been diagnosed with brain cancer, died at age 75. She felt that it was difficult to find progressive funeral homes and cemeteries in the area. This encouraged her to start working on an online platform that would provide families with customized services and easier ways to organize their loved one’s final wishes. By the end of 2016, Motamedi and Shiravand started building Empathy together.
Empathy’s digital assistant is organized around two main components: a map-based interface and a conversational chatbot. The map-based interface shows the closest funeral homes, cemeteries and memorial services. Users can book an appointment at funeral homes or cemeteries via the chatbot. In September 2018, Empathy began to allow users to plan their own memorial service and spread their ashes in places that are meaningful to them, instead of going through a funeral home or cemetery. The company is currently working on incorporating a version of the service where users can order urns and vases, which will be available via a third-party company.
The chatbot gives users information about things such as local funeral homes, cemeteries and memorial services. Users can also ask the chatbot more personalized questions, including basic information such as travel arrangements for funerals or advice about storing memories after death.
Empathy has already been used by thousands of people in the US since its launch in January 2018.
