Dignity to acquire Farewill
Funeral service provider Dignity intends to acquire Farewill, a London-based end-of-life services provider.
Castelnau Group, an investment firm and Dignity’s majority shareholder, stated that Dignity will buy Farewell in an all-stock deal valuing the startup at £12.9 million.
Founded in 2015, Farewill provides an online platform for people to create a will and it publicly disclosed ~$39 million in funding. The startup has partnered with a number of insurance companies such as Legal & General and Aviva.
“The addition of Farewill to Dignity’s offering embodies Castelnau’s strategic ambitions for Dignity. Adding Farewill’s will and probate services to Dignity’s current offerings will expand Dignity’s touchpoints with customers throughout their entire `end-of-life’ journey. We are pleased the structuring of the transaction has also allowed us to increase our ownership in Dignity, a business where we continue to see a significant value-creation opportunity.” – Castelnau Chief Executive Richard Brown.
“Joining forces with Dignity allows us to stay true to that mission while benefiting from the experience and resources of a company that has been a trusted name for generations. Farewill will continue to operate independently, with our own brand and focus, serving a growing audience that values the convenience and transparency of our services – alongside contributing to the group as we explore ways of improving every customers’ experience.” – Farewell Chief Executive Dan Garret.