PROVO, December 15th, 2022

‍After.com, the fastest growing cremation company in the U.S. and leading provider of end-of-life services, today announced the close of its series seed funding round of $4M. This new investment will further accelerate After.com’s expansion into new markets nationwide. The latest round was led by Boulder-based Matchstick Ventures with participation from Revolution.com’s ROTR Seed Fund, Sweater Ventures, TEN13, Breaktrail Ventures and angel investors Aaron Skonnard and Chris North, among others.

After.com’s internet-first experience helps families navigate end-of-life services without ever needing to step foot inside a funeral home. Instead, families are able to pre-plan or arrange cremation and funeral services online in minutes, offering them simplicity when they need it most.

“After.com has built a fresh new approach to one of humanity’s oldest and most universal problems—death,” said Natty Zola, Partner at Matchstick Ventures. “Few industries are more in need of change than funerals, and no team is more uniquely qualified than After to lead that change. Their founding team includes not only seasoned tech entrepreneurs, but also a fourth-generation funeral director. We love their empathetic and modern approach to providing valuable products and services for families at such an important time.”

This investment opportunity comes as the result of three industry trends: projected increases in annual deaths, shifting consumer preferences in favor of online buying experiences, and a new generation that prefers cremations to traditional burial options. According to the National Funeral Directors Association’s 2022 Cremation and Burial Report, the cremation rate is expected to grow to 78.7% of all U.S. deaths by 2040.

“We envision a world where we face mortality with confidence and peace of mind. A world where everyone plans the funeral they want and loved ones get the care they deserve,” said Wesley Eames, After.com co-founder and CEO. “We’re shifting the power from funeral homes to families, saving them time, money and energy for what matters most—celebrating the life of their loved one.”

In the last 18 months, After.com has expanded from a pilot in Phoenix, Arizona to a fully staffed operation in three states and four markets, with many more scheduled to launch in the coming year. Between cremation services and funeral insurance offerings, the company has helped thousands of families plan for and navigate end-of-life, closing 2022 with over 400% year-over-year growth from 2021.

This seed round follows After.com’s nearly $1M pre-seed round only seven months prior, bringing the company’s total capital raised to $5M to date. The funding from the current round will be used to expand to new states and markets nationwide, as well as further invest in building new products and services that help families navigate all things end-of-life.

About After.com

After.com is the new home for funerals. We help people pre-plan the funeral they want online in minutes, and we help grieving families get the care they deserve with affordable direct cremation and funeral services. Our internet-first experience makes it easy for families to navigate all things end-of-life so they can stay focused on what matters—celebrating the life of their loved one.

About Matchstick Ventures

At Matchstick Ventures (matchstick.vc), we’re all about finding and backing the most innovative, ambitious, and diverse founders in the North and Rockies. We’re on a mission to support the ideas and companies that have the potential to make a huge impact. And we don’t just invest, we work closely with our founders to help them succeed. We’re a catalyst for growth and we’re proud to be a part of the thriving startup community in this region.