The Architect of the Digital Afterlife

Company & Team Introduction

Digital Will (DigitalWill.com) is a pioneering "Death Tech" startup designed to modernize the estate planning industry for the digital age. Built on a foundation of empathy and personal experience, the company aims to solve the problem of "locked legacies"—where digital assets like photos, cryptocurrency, and online accounts become inaccessible after a person's passing. Digital Will operates under the umbrella of CircleIt Inc., a Chicago-based generational platform.

• Art Shaikh (Founder & CEO): A seasoned technologist who founded CircleIt and Digital Will after the loss of his father. His vision is to leverage technology to preserve family stories and ensure a seamless transfer of both physical and digital wealth.

• Joe Karasin (CMO): A veteran marketing strategist with over a decade of experience in SEO and digital growth. Karasin joined the team to scale the platform’s global reach, driven by his own experience navigating the complexities of his mother’s estate.

Product Overview

The Digital Will platform is an AI-native ecosystem that goes beyond traditional "PDF-builder" will services by focusing on execution. The platform allows users to create a comprehensive inventory of digital assets, from social media accounts to cloud storage and crypto wallets.

• Dolly (AI Digital Executor): The centerpiece of the platform. Dolly is an AI companion that guides users through the creation of their will in plain language. Upon the user's death, Dolly acts as a "Digital Executor," working with human representatives to unlock accounts, transfer assets, and deliver final messages with precision.

• Smart Cards: A unique feature allowing users to schedule messages, cards, and gifts for future milestones—such as a grandchild's wedding or a child’s graduation—that are delivered even decades after the user has passed.

• Digital Wasiya: A specialized, Shariah-compliant version of the product designed to meet Islamic inheritance requirements, ensuring religious and legal alignment for Muslim users worldwide.

• Security: The platform uses bank-grade encryption and patented technology (U.S. and International) to ensure that sensitive access data remains private until the "trigger" event occurs.

Market Opportunity

Digital Will is tapping into the rapidly growing "Digital Estate Planning" market, fueled by the shift of global wealth into digital formats. With over $68 trillion expected to transfer between generations in the next two decades, there is an urgent need for tools that handle non-physical assets.

• Digital Natives: The platform specifically targets Millennials and Gen Z, who view digital accounts (emails, domains, social media) as high-value assets.

• Global Reach: Unlike traditional legal services that are state or country-bound, Digital Will’s AI-driven model is built for global scalability, addressing a "blind spot" in the traditional legal industry.

Business Model & Traction

Digital Will utilizes a transparent, consumer-friendly pricing model that avoids the recurring fees common in the industry.

• Pricing: The platform offers a flat-rate package (approx. $499) that includes the Digital Will and unlimited updates for life—a significant value proposition compared to attorneys who charge hourly for revisions.

• Traction: As of late 2021, parent company CircleIt reported a trajectory toward 5 million members, with rapid adoption of its "physical gift" and "Smart Card" features. The app is available on both iOS and Android and has gained significant media attention for its unique "AI afterlife agent" approach.

Competitors

Digital Will competes in a crowded legal-tech space but differentiates itself through its focus on digital-first assets and AI-powered execution.

• Trust & Will: The current market leader in digital estate planning, focusing heavily on legally-vetted documents and ease of use for traditional wills and trusts.

• GoodTrust: A close competitor that also offers a "Digital Vault" for passwords and social media, though Digital Will leans more heavily into the AI "executor" role.

• LegalZoom: The incumbent giant in online legal services. While it has broad brand recognition, its tools are often viewed as "static" document generators rather than dynamic execution platforms.

• LastPass/1Password: While primarily password managers, they offer "Emergency Access" features that compete with the vault aspect of Digital Will.

Funding

To date, DigitalWill.com has successfully secured a total of $11 million in funding across two strategic investment rounds. The company’s growth began with a $1 million Pre-Seed round announced on January 1, 2024, which laid the groundwork for their digital estate planning platform. This initial momentum was significantly amplified on June 1, 2025, when the company closed a $10 million Seed round, marking a substantial scale-up in their financial backing and market confidence.