22 Aug IU Angel Network Invests in Bereave
Indianapolis, IN — The IU Angel Network, an investment vehicle of IU Ventures, today announced an investment of $65,000 in Bereave, an Indianapolis-based startup dedicated to transforming how individuals navigate death.
Co-founded by Matt Tyner and Pat Rogers, both IU alumni, and co-founders Elijah Linder and Keagan McGuire, Bereave provides innovative, technology-driven solutions that help organizations support their employees through loss with software, leadership training, and a 24/7 grief support platform.
“Everyone experiences loss at some point in their career,” said Jason Whitney, Chief Venture Officer at IU Ventures and Executive Director of the IU Angel Network. “Bereave is helping employers better support their team members through this often-overlooked challenge.”
Bereave’s origins derive from two of the co-founders’ personal experiences with bereavement.
“Matt and Elijah both lost their parents prematurely,” explained Justin Clifford, Bereave’s CEO who previously worked at Demandwell and Lessonly. “In their respective journeys and through their friendship they came to understand the nearly endless impediments for a peaceful navigation of the survivor process.”
The Bereave team plans to use the funds from this funding round to build out the first enterprise grade software platform and acquire their first 150 customers.
“Moving on from our minimum viable product that we’ve been selling will be a massive step in our evolution,” said Clifford. “We are also partnering with Bloomington-based Paragraph Ventures to build the first version of our platform.”
Clifford describes the potential impact of Bereave on its marketplace as massive.
“The opportunity to change the way we experience death could literally touch every person,” he said. “While we aren’t naive to think that Bereave will do that, we are strongly motivated by that idea. There are near endless impediments to navigating loss and we’re honored to be part of the solution.”
Bereave has been through two prior Friends and Family funding rounds and is currently in a pre-seed round that includes both angel investors as well as two Bloomington-based institutional investors, Paragraph Ventures and Flywheel Fund.
“The IU Angel Network has been on our list from the start of our funding process,” said Clifford. “We knew that it contained not only the power of capital but the power of people. We expect the IU Angel Network to represent a significant impact on our ability to pursue our mission.”
About IU Ventures
IU Ventures invests in and supports IU-affiliated early-stage companies. Its investment programs include the IU Philanthropic Venture Fund, IU Angel Network, Shoebox Fund and Innovate Indiana Fund. It further supports IU founders through the Executive in Residence Program and IU Founders and Funders Network. Student support is provided through a variety of engagements, including the new IU Venture Fellows Program. Each program takes unique approaches to accelerate and support the positive impacts that entrepreneurs affiliated with IU already achieve across the world. IU Ventures is a recognized leader in increasing opportunities for diverse and historically underserved entrepreneurs and investing in Indiana startups with a shared commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. www.iuventures.com
About Bereave
Bereave is an Indianapolis-based startup co-founded by three friends, two of them who experienced the premature loss of their parents. This shared experience highlighted the profound need for better support during times of grief. Driven by a commitment to transform how loss is managed, Bereave provides innovative, technology-driven solutions that help organizations support their employees through life’s most difficult moments. Our mission is to create a workplace culture where compassion and care are integral, ensuring that individuals receive the support they need while businesses maintain resilience and productivity. Bereave is redefining how we experience and respond to grief, enabling both people and organizations to move forward together.
Media Contacts:
Bereave
Keagan McGuire
keagan@bereave.io
IU Ventures
Jon Barada
jbarada@iu.edu