Chptr the app dedicated to preserving memories of departed loved ones
Chptr, In a recent funding round, the app dedicated to preserving memories of departed loved ones has successfully raised $1.5 million in seed funding. Developed to provide a platform for individuals to capture and share the essence of the lives of their loved ones, Chptr allows users to compile and store a variety of content, including stories, images, audio messages, and videos, all in one accessible space.
Founded in 2020 by Rehan Choudhry, the inspiration for Chptr struck when he assisted his wife, a news anchor at CBS New York, in creating video tributes for the initial victims of COVID-19 in New York City. The experience revealed a profound need for a centralized platform where families and friends could gather to commemorate and celebrate the lives of those they lost.
Choudhry explained in a TechCrunch interview that the videos served as a focal point for grieving individuals, extending the typically 90-day grieving process to months as people rallied around shared memories. This realization sparked the idea for Chptr, aiming to make this communal memorialization accessible to everyone with a smartphone and a social media presence.
The app facilitates ongoing connections with friends and family members, enabling users to discover new facets of their loved ones’ lives. With nearly 4,000 users across 900 memorials and a month-over-month growth rate of 20%, Chptr caters to a wide range of memorialization needs, spanning from recent losses to those that occurred 25 years ago.
Unlike traditional obituaries and funeral services, which often limit memory-sharing to immediate family and close friends, Chptr democratizes the process. The app encourages anyone with a fond memory of the departed to contribute and share it with others, fostering a richer, more diverse narrative of the person’s life.
Chptr isn’t solely focused on consumer use; it is also venturing into the business-to-business (B2B) space. The startup aims to collaborate with news organizations, TV networks, nonprofits, and medical centers to support their memorialization efforts. By providing curated collections of memories directly from the loved ones, Chptr seeks to streamline the often time-consuming and expensive process of gathering stories.
The recent funding injection of $1.5 million, led by Grit Capital Partners and featuring participation from Singularity Capital, Ganas Ventures, Tubbs Ventures, Gaingels, Lucas Venture Group, and Accel Starter, will be allocated to product development and marketing. This follows Chptr’s successful closure of a $2.4 million pre-seed funding round in the summer of 2022.
Looking ahead, Chptr envisions becoming the largest central database and learning resource for life stories. Founder Rehan Choudhry expressed the ambitious goal of creating 100 million memorials with over a billion contributors, likening it to a content-rich Wikipedia of life. The ultimate aim is to ensure that the impact of someone’s existence persists indefinitely. Available on both iOS and Android, Chptr is set to redefine the way we commemorate and cherish the lives of those we’ve lost.
