The past few years have seen the rise of a new industry focused on technology solutions for death, grief, and remembrance. Dubbed “death tech,” this field encompasses startups and products aiming to reimagine end-of-life planning, funerals, burials, grief support, and memorialization.

As technology transforms nearly every aspect of our lives, it is only a matter of time before it begins reshaping our relationship with death as well. From apps that help you plan your own funeral to biodegradable urns seeded with tree DNA, death tech offers new ways to care for our mortal selves and memorialize lost loved ones.

In this post, we’ll explore some of the key trends and innovations shaping the death tech space today. Whether you’re curious about the future of funerals, interested in eco-friendly burial options, or looking for tech-enabled grief support, read on for an overview of this emergent field.

Death Tech Statistics

The death tech industry is rapidly gaining traction and here are some statistics:

1. A report by Everplans estimated that the funeral industry in the United States alone is worth $20 billion annually.
2. According to a survey by AARP, around 60% of adults in the U.S. do not have a will or other estate planning documents in place.
3. A study by the National Funeral Directors Association found that the median cost of a funeral with viewing and burial in 2021 was $7,848.
4. The cremation rate in the U.S. has been steadily rising, reaching 57.7% in 2021, according to the Cremation Association of North America.
5. According to The Global Newswire, the global funeral services market is estimated to be USD 13.98 Bn in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 18.91 Bn by 2028, with a steady CAGR of 6.23%.
6. Death tech startups listed on Crunchbase have collectively raised $117 million as of 2019.

Streamlining End-of-Life Planning

Much of death tech aims to streamline and improve end-of-life planning, an often cumbersome process involving wills, advanced directives, funeral preplanning, and more.

Apps like Lantern and Cake provide guided questionnaires to help you organize important information for your loved ones and create a centralized portal for your end-of-life documents and wishes. Others like Everplans offer step-by-step guidance on legacy planning, from writing a will to selecting your burial plot.

For many people, documenting end-of-life wishes can be an uncomfortable chore. Death tech startups approach it with compassion, using design thinking to transform this experience into one that provides clarity and peace of mind.

Rethinking Funerals

The traditional funeral industry is being challenged by startups aimed at personalizing memorial services while reducing costs.

Apps like Bestow and Farewill allow you to plan your funeral in advance by selecting burial or cremation options, organizing music and readings for the service, and specifying how your remains should be handled. You can share your funeral plans with loved ones and even prepay arrangements to ease the financial burden on your family.

Other death tech companies are doing away with traditional funerals altogether. Recompose offers an eco-friendly “natural organic reduction” service that turns bodies into soil in about 30 days. There are startups using Aquamation, a chemical process to dissolve remains, an alternative to cremation that has a lower carbon footprint.

As more consumers gravitate toward personalization and sustainability, the very definition of a “funeral” stands to evolve thanks to these science-driven startups.

Exploring Eco-Conscious Burial Options

Sustainability is a major theme within death tech, as innovators develop greener ways to memorialize and lay loved ones to rest.

One novel offering is the Living Urn, a biodegradable urn embedded with the seeds of a tree or plant. As your ashes nourish the soil, the seeds sprout to grow a memorial tree. You can select specific DNA to grow everything from flowers to trees.

If becoming a tree isn’t your speed, Reef Balls offer an oceanic burial option. Your cremated remains are incorporated into a concrete ball that forms an artificial reef, promoting new marine ecosystems. Or consider Heavens Above Fireworks, which loads “ashes into space” via a spectacular fireworks display.

Death tech offers eco-conscious consumers more choices to memorialize loved ones while reconnecting them with nature. The environmental benefits run deep as these startups scale.

Leveraging Tech for Grief Support

Losing a loved one can be isolating and disorienting. Death tech developers are exploring how technology can be leveraged to comfort and connect the bereaved.

One example is Refuge In Grief, an online grief community and resource hub. Members can share their stories, participate in support groups, and access a wealth of articles on navigating loss. Founder Shelby Forsythia sees technology as a way to “hold space for grief” and provide solidarity.

Other apps like GriefCoach function like a pocket therapist, helping the bereaved track their grief, practice self-care, and work through the stages following a loss. Real-time journaling and mood-tracking features let you capture thoughts and feelings on the go.

While tech will never replace real human connection, these tools show their potential to facilitate community, insight, and healing after losing someone.

Memorialization Gets a Digital Upgrade

Perhaps the most ubiquitous manifestation of death tech is the reimagining of memorials and remembrance.

Digital memorials like Memories offer spaces online to commemorate lost loved ones. Friends and family can share photos, videos, and memories on a customized memorial page. You can print memorial books directly from the platform.

Legacy contacts at Facebook now permit a trusted person to manage your account if you pass away, deciding how your profile can be used to foster connections. AI chatbots are in development that will simulate conversations with the deceased, preserving their personality for friends and family.

Some death tech memorials are more artistic, like AI portraits that use algorithms to render the deceased in various poses using provided photos. Others are functional, like the Legacy Touch fingerprint jewelry immortalizing your unique fingerprint.

Digital memorialization opens up creative new ways for the deceased to remain present (and get tagged) even after they’re gone.

What Does the Future Hold?

Death tech is still in its early stages as an industry. But the initial market enthusiasm and VC investments indicate it is here to stay.

Some future development areas may include:

• Predictive hospice: Using big data to optimize end-of-life care delivery.
• Lifelogging: Passively recording your entire life for posthumous legacy preservation.
• 3D-printed remains: Novel ways to re-form cremains into coral, records, or DNA.
• Remote funerals: Seamless livestreaming so anyone can attend memorials virtually.
• Death doulas: Professional support navigating end-of-life decisions and grief.

The possibilities are vast. While the topic may seem morbid to some, death tech aims to use innovation to demystify death and enrich life.

Improved access to personalized planning tools helps us approach death with intention, not avoidance. More eco-friendly options let us lower death’s carbon footprint. Digital spaces for grief provide connectivity in isolation. And new memorialization practices keep our loved one’s memory alive.

Death tech will never eliminate the pain of losing someone. But it can provide comfort, meaning, and closure as we navigate an inevitable part of existence.

The poet Alvin Toffler once said, “Death and dying are part of life. To reject them is to reject life itself.” Perhaps death tech, in spurring change around dying, is helping us embrace life’s natural conclusion more thoughtfully.

That’s the current landscape of this burgeoning industry. We’ll have to stay tuned to see what’s next as technology continues to transform this most human of experiences.