Tech Companies Empathy, Sharecare Partner to Add Bereavement Support to Employment Benefits

Technology firms Empathy and Sharecare (NASDAQ: SHCR) have partnered to expand the benefits that companies can offer to bereaved employees.

Sharecare offers a platform that is designed to unify all the elements of an employee’s benefits to help them navigate their continuum of needs. Through this partnership, employees will be able to access Empathy’s bereavement support services through ShareCare’s home home-oriented product, CareLinx.

Integrating the two systems will help connect grieving employees with much needed resources, according to Empathy CEO Ron Gura.

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“A caregiver’s responsibilities do not end with their loved one’s passing — there is a continuity of care far beyond the life of those we love,” Gura said in a statement. “Sharecare is changing the lives of millions of people for the better. We are proud to provide additional critical layers of care to their offering, helping employees undergo the transition from navigating a loved one’s medical issues to coping with their passing, with all that entails.”

Bereavement care tech startup Empathy launched in 2021 with an app designed to help reduce the burden on grieving families and provide additional layers of emotional support. The company in April of that year secured $13 million in seed money, with the venture capital firms General Catalyst and Aleph as the lead investors. Empathy went on to raise an additional $30 million in subsequent funding rounds.

The Empathy app is designed to help families navigate the logistical aspects of bereavement, including documentation, funeral or memorial arrangements, validating a will and other essentials. These tasks often require hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars, for which many families are unprepared.

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“Grief is made harder by logistics and logistics are made harder by grief,” Gura told Hospice News.

Atlanta, Georgia-based Sharecare is a digital health company that provides consumers with personalized health-related information and connects them with programs and resources, including adult companionship, clinical assessments, nursing care and assistance with daily activities.

“We’re extremely pleased to offer our client partners comprehensive bereavement support via Empathy, a company that shares our commitment to supporting employees throughout their caregiving journeys,” said Melinda Raymond, senior vice president of enterprise sales at Sharecare. “With extensive, caring, and human-centered services like Empathy, we can help our employer clients support members of their workforces as they navigate life’s most difficult moments, helping companies foster a culture of care while supporting and retaining their employees.”

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