When Donnell Beverly Jr. determined to launch end-of-life planning startup Eazewell after the lack of each of his mother and father, he knew precisely who to name to assist launch the enterprise: longtime buddy, and nine-time NBA All Star, Russell Westbrook.  

“The principle thesis with Russ throughout each enterprise that he touches is how can we impression individuals?” Beverly Jr. [pictured above] informed TechCrunch. “He’s been very vocal about that all through his profession.  I at all times say we actually took private ache after which created a platform to actually assist individuals.” 

Westbrook was in. Former four-time NBA All Star Kemba Walker additionally joined and the trio launched Eazewell.  

Eazewell is an AI-driven platform that helps households navigate and automate the executive elements of end-of-life and funeral planning. The startup’s AI agent offers individuals a 24-hour, 7-day-a-week useful resource and helps customers with all the pieces from discovering and reserving a funeral dwelling to cancelling bank card accounts for a deceased individual.  

The corporate companions with completely different service suppliers, like hospice care, funeral properties, and numerous insurance coverage firms, which permits the platform to be free to make use of with the choice of paying for extra premium options.  

“I had a chance to have the ability to be shut along with his household and go by way of the method with [Beverly Jr.],” Westbrook informed TechCrunch. “He’s finished an incredible job of idealizing this concept and bringing it to life. I’m excited to type of be accomplice with him alongside him on this.” 

Beverly Jr. stated he acquired the concept for Eazewell after dropping each of his mother and father in a brief interval of time. Navigating what got here after their deaths made him understand how giant of a burden the end-of-life course of may be — and the way fragmented the market of those companies is.  

He added that seeing the current developments in AI made him understand the know-how may very well be used to assist scale back the variety of administrative duties grieving households have to deal with following a dying.

“We’ve seen how AI has impacted our lives whereas we’re right here, however you already know now we’re getting into an area the place it’s impacting our lives after dying,” Beverly Jr. stated.  

Eazewell was based in 2024. The corporate stated it has been in a position to assist greater than 100,000 households since its launched its platform earlier this 12 months.  

Now, Eazewell is rolling out a brand new enterprise platform for hospice firms, senior dwelling amenities and life insurers. This enables firms to fold Eazewell’s automated options into their very own administration software program.

Sooner or later, Eazwell hopes to assist individuals handle a liked one’s digital property after they move, a process that has turn out to be an even bigger endeavor as individuals’s lives are more and more on-line.  

“The common individual has anyplace between 70 and 100 digital accounts which can be lively at any time,” Beverly Jr. stated. “Your loved ones is inheriting all these digital accounts and people digital property as properly. And that’s not typical. We’re entering into a brand new type of realm inside that. Once we have a look at the entire panorama, we see a grand alternative to not solely assist individuals however simply make it much more seamless.” 

For Westbrook, Eazewell gives the right alternative to enter enterprise with a decades-long buddy whereas additionally having the ability to use his platform to amplify a enterprise that may assist individuals — particularly these from underserved and under-resourced communities — navigate this painful and expensive expertise.  

“Anytime I put my title on something, I attempt to discover methods to open doorways, construct belief, discover methods to play an enormous position in it and be current as a result of I feel that’s necessary,” Westbrook stated. “And this isn’t about me or being tremendous technical by any means, however it’s extra importantly about households discovering methods to have the ability to assist them by way of a loss. And for me, utilizing my platform to have the ability to do that’s a no brainer.”