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Farewill

Wills, probate, and cremation service

21-100 employees
  • B2C
  • Personal finance
  • Legal
London (HQ), United Kingdom, 27 Downham Rd, Haggerston

Company mission

To change the way the world deals with death.

Rocket List 2021
Top investors

Some candidates hear
back within 2 weeks

-2% employee growth in 12 months

Otta's take

Theo Margolius headshot

Theo Margolius

COO of Otta

In the UK, the majority of wills and probates are made by solicitors or will-writing firms. However, these are often extremely expensive and not affordable for most people.

A growing number of DIY will services have popped up over the last few years, but most have poor user experience and no real support beyond the form itself. Customers are required to read 10-20 pages of legal documents and decide what applies to them. Farewill's technology asks simple questions and generates legal text. Wills are important legal documents, and so each will is still checked by a specialist. Customers to date have raised hundreds of millions of pounds in charity by leaving a gift in their will.

A competitor in the US (Willing) has taken the freemium route, referring customers to funeral services to make money. However, Farewill believes it can provide a better experience if the product is paid for. Farewell is also partnering with UK companies to provide the service as a perk to their employees, a novel distribution method.

Since launching in 2015, the company has also delved into funeral services. By blending smart technology, Farewill prides itself in dealing with all aspects of death and is committed to making this process faster and fairer for people all over the UK.

Benefits

  • £1000 and 3 days a year to spend on your development
  • 28 days holiday and flexible working, dependent on your role
  • Regular team lunches, off-sites, climbing and board games
  • A competitive salary with great stock options
  • An unlimited Santander Cycles pass, free fruit and snacks, a beautifully bright office in Haggerston and – most of all – the chance to have a real impact on people’s lives

Funding (last 2 of 5 rounds)

Jul 2020

$25m

LATE VC

Dec 2018

$7.2m

SERIES A

$33.5m

Total funding

This company has top investors

Founders

They studied Global Innovation Design at the Royal College of Art. They also have a Masters degree in Structural Engineering and Global Innovation Design.

Diversity & Inclusion at Farewill

  • We were delighted to win Best Employer of 2020 at the UK Fintech Awards who cited our commitment to D&I and building inclusive teams.
  • There is always more to do here, but we're proud of what we've achieved so far - 72% of our team identify as women, as well as half of our leadership team. We have in-house training and development programmes and budget for every member of our team, though as ever, building a diverse team starts with how you approach hiring - something we take incredibly seriously at Farewill.

Endorsements

All

Meaningful work (3)

Open and honest communication (3)

Inspiring mission (3)

Career progression (2)

Nice people (1)

Intelligent people (1)

Supportive management (1)

Diversity is a priority (1)

Focus on employee wellbeing (1)

Innovative product (1)

Everyone is genuinely so kind and thoughtful. Especially during the pandemic, I've seen the team go out of their way to support each other, delivering food to each other in isolation, going on walks, setting up movie nights and lots more. It feels like a real community.

People, HR, Recruitment

Nice people

Jan 2021

If you ask any of the Leadership Team a direct question, you'll get an honest answer. People are humble and acknowledge that they're still learning.

People, HR, Recruitment

Open and honest communication

Jan 2021

We regularly hear about promotions and celebrate them in All Hands. We've got progression frameworks in most areas and it's clear that there are opportunities for people to move up. A couple of people have also transitioned between different functions since I joined.

People, HR, Recruitment

Career progression

Jan 2021

Farewill prioritises company rituals, like weekly All Hands meetings. Every decision made by the company is communicated, with the reasoning behind it.

Data

Open and honest communication

Jan 2021

Farewill recently hired an in-house personal development/management coach, which has been fantastic as both a manager and a person being managed.

Data

Supportive management

Jan 2021

I love Farewill's mission of 'Changing the way the world deals with death'. It's an industry that is often overlooked by reformers and entrepreneurs, at the detriment of individuals. Helping people financially, legally, and emotionally deal with death is incredibly rewarding.

Data

Meaningful work

Jan 2021

Farewill is a fast growing startup with a diverse selection of people, where everyone is truly aligned with the noble company mission of providing a world class service and products and work towards transforming the death industry for the better.

Design

Inspiring mission

Jan 2021

Open communication and a bias for constant actionable and valuable feedback is at the forefront of how the company operates and applies to all levels and titles. Leadership is transparent about plans and goals of the company and there's a monthly ritual where any questions are answered publicly.

Design

Open and honest communication

Jan 2021

There are different levels of titles, but when it comes to day-to-day communication everyone's opinion matters and all voices are heard. This approach to working is hard-wired into all processes and rituals.

Design

Flat hierarchy

Jan 2021

Farewill is out to help people during some of the most difficult times of their lives and it's incredible to be part of that story. It's some of the most fulfilling work I've done and it means a lot to see the difference you can make

Software Engineering

Inspiring mission

Jan 2021

I've been lucky enough to move across departments during my time here. Farewill have always been supportive in helping me progress and develop in my career whilst always setting clear and realistic expectations. I've always felt supported in pursuing the goals I want to pursue and its really amazing to have the backing of the people that can help you get there

Software Engineering

Career progression

Jan 2021

Everyone in the company is so passionate about what they do which inevitably leads to them being experts in their job! Everyone has so many stories to share, so much knowledge to give and it feels like the culture we have encourages this so much. I feel like I learn something new so often here and thinking about how much I've learnt personally over the last couple of years is pretty cool

Software Engineering

Intelligent people

Jan 2021

I love working at Farewill because our team genuinely cares about making a difference for our customers and will go above and beyond to help change the way the world deals with death

People, HR, Recruitment

Meaningful work

Jan 2021

So glad I am part of this team. I joined Farewill because they do things differently and aren't afraid of challenging the status quo.

People, HR, Recruitment

Inspiring mission

Jan 2021

We work in an industry that has barely been touched by technology, with only 2% online, nor seen much innovation. Not only is it easier to write a will for example, but we also make it cheaper. We're definitely changing the way the world deals with death!

People, HR, Recruitment

Innovative product

Jan 2021

This is a topic that a lot of people in the business (including me!) care about deeply. We're trying to look through the lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion with all of the important things that we bring in - for example with progression frameworks, running inclusive hiring training for managers etc. Historically we've done pretty well on some characteristics (we had an all women team of engineers at one point!), but we're trying hard to bake in more intersectionality too.

Software Engineering

Diversity is a priority

Jan 2021

Since starting at Farewill I've had some life-changing challenges in my personal life. I couldn't have felt more supported by people at work. I felt safe and able to share very personal things with my boss, and the Chief of Staff, I was able to use our free employee assistance counselling, and I felt supported to adapt my routine and take as much time off as I need. Mental health sick days are respected, and I've also been encouraging all of my team to flex their days if they want to make the most of daylight to go for walks etc.

Software Engineering

Focus on employee wellbeing

Jan 2021

We're trying to tackle one of the hardest problems... death! The ability to support people who're experiencing huge grief and make a difference to their life, but also just to help everyone plan for our own deaths in the most meaningful way is hugely motivating to me.

Software Engineering

Meaningful work

Jan 2021

Jobs (5)

All locations

Data

Operations & Strategy

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