SouSou

What SouSou does

SouSou (株式会社そうそう) is a Tokyo-headquartered, venture-backed digital end-of-life planning platform founded in August 2022 by Kusaka Fusao. Its core offering is a free consumer smartphone app that combines three tools — an Ending Notebook for documenting final wishes, a Time Capsule Letter for delayed message delivery, and a Memorial Page for digital tributes — secured through My Number Card-based public individual authentication via my FinTech's government-certified FPoS platform. The system claims to operate the world's first digital death detection, validating each user's electronic certificate daily and notifying a designated administrator when validity lapses. The company's primary products include physical memorial goods (ceramic mini urns with NFC tags, acrylic frames/keychains, stone tablets, memorial photobooks, canvas prints, pet urns), an AI-generated Memorial Movie service, and an Ending Notebook physical bookbinding service launched May 2026. Business model is freemium on the consumer side, with revenue derived from memorial merchandise priced ¥4,490-¥135,000, paid AI video services, and B2B subscription/quote-based contracts with funeral companies, mutual aid societies, insurance agencies, telecom providers, and municipalities that receive death notifications via SouSou's External Service Integration. Distribution operates on a two-sided model — direct consumer download from iOS and Android stores plus partner-driven referrals at funeral/insurance touchpoints — supported by earned media coverage on TV Tokyo WBS, Nikkei Shimbun, ITmedia, BS TV Tokyo, and TBS, plus presence at industry trade shows such as the Funeral Business Fair. Founders and core management are drawn from Deloitte Tohmatsu Group and VMware K.K., and the company has raised cumulative funding in excess of ¥300M (approximately $2M) through seed and pre-Series A rounds, with stated traction of about 30,000 app downloads and eight strategic B2B partners.

Name

SouSou

Legal name

株式会社そうそう

Website

https://sousou-official.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SouSou operates a free smartphone-based end-of-life planning platform using Japan's My Number Card for identity verification and the world's first digital death detection system, serving individual consumers and B2B partners in funeral, insurance, mutual aid, telecom and healthcare.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

End-of-Life Planning Software

NAICS

Death Care Services (8122)

SIC

Life Insurance (6311)

akta.pro primary industry

Final Expense / Burial Life Insurance (FSAIABAF)

Keywords

• End-of-life planning
• Digital estate platform
• Memorial services
• Death notification service
• Identity verification software

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Operations

Revenue model

1. Memorial Merchandise Sales: SouSou sells physical memorial products that link to digital memorial pages via NFC tags or QR codes. Products include mini urns (¥9,700), acrylic photo frames (¥9,900), acrylic keychains (¥4,490), natural stone memorial tablets (¥135,000), memorial photobooks (¥25,000), pet urns/covers (¥6,800–¥8,950), and canvas photo prints (¥10,700). Sales occur through the company's own purchase site.
2. Free App with Premium Add-ons: The SouSou app is free to download and use for core functions. Additional paid services include ending note bookbinding/printing services (as of May 2026), and likely other premium features. Basic app functions and external integration services are provided free to users.
3. Memorial Movie AI Video Service: AI-powered memorial video service that animates photos of deceased individuals. The service is positioned for funeral companies as a white-label or B2B offering with results-based pricing (no initial or fixed costs for partner companies). Individual consumers can also order directly.
4. External Service Integration for Enterprise Partners: SouSou provides a platform for partner companies (insurance agencies, funeral companies, mutual aid societies, municipalities) to receive death notifications and customer end-of-life data. Revenue model for this B2B component is not publicly disclosed but appears to involve service fees from partners (the company references consultation-based pricing).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

SouSou operates a digital end-of-life planning platform delivered as a smartphone application that combines My Number Card-based identity verification, digital death detection via electronic certificate validation, and external service integration with partner companies (insurance agencies, funeral companies, mutual aid societies). The platform offers an Ending Notebook for documenting end-of-life wishes, a Time Capsule Letter for posthumous message delivery, and a Memorial Page for digital tributes, alongside physical memorial merchandise and an AI-powered memorial video service. The core app is free for consumers, with B2B services and physical goods generating revenue.

Product overview

SouSou is a unified digital end-of-life planning platform delivered as a smartphone application. The core platform (SouSou App) integrates three digital tools — the Ending Notebook (エンディングノート) for recording end-of-life wishes, the Time Capsule Letter (タイムカプセルレター) for posthumous message delivery, and the Memorial Page (メモリアルページ) for digital tribute pages — all secured by MyNumber card-based identity verification (FPoS) and the world's first digital death detection system. The platform connects to external service partners (insurance companies, funeral societies, telecom providers) via its External Service Integration (外部サービス連携) feature, sharing verified death information to reduce post-mortem administrative burden for families. Physical memorial goods (ミニ骨壷, アクリルフォトフレーム, アクリルキーホルダー, 天然石位牌, メモリアルフォトブック, ペット骨壷・カバー, キャンバス調フォト) are sold through SouSou's e-commerce store, each containing NFC tags or QR codes that link to the user's digital memorial page. A memorial movie ( SouSou メモリアルムビー) service generates AI-powered tribute videos from photographs. Two B2B modules — the Insurance Claim Support Service ( SouSou 保険金請求サポートサービス) and the Mutual Aid Society End-of-Life Support Service ( SouSou 終活サポートサービス) — serve enterprise partners. Core app is free; physical goods, binding service, and memorial movies are paid.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SouSou App (Core Platform) Digital end-of-life planning smartphone application providing a unified platform for ending notebooks, time capsule letters, memorial pages, MyNumber card-based identity verification, and digital death detection. Free to use for core features; serves as the hub for all other SouSou services.
• Memorial Photobook [あゆみ] (Ayumi) Custom-printed hardcover photobook compiling photos, life history content, and farewell messages from the memorial page into a physical A4, 20-page book. Priced at 25,000 JPY (tax-inclusive). Produced upon order and shipped within 7 business days after payment confirmation.
• Mini Urn [にじたま] (Nijitama) Droplet-shaped Mino-yaki ceramic mini urn with a subtle rainbow/sheen glaze finish. Compact design with an inner lid to prevent ash spillage. Contains an embedded NFC tag readable by smartphone. Priced at 9,700 JPY (tax-inclusive).
• Acrylic Photo Frame [はれのひ] (Harenohi) Clear acrylic photo stand displaying a chosen memorial photograph. Available in portrait or landscape orientation. Priced at 9,900 JPY (tax-inclusive). Linked to the memorial page via QR code.
• Acrylic Keychain [いつも] (Itsumo) Custom acrylic keychain printed with a memorial photograph. Available in square, portrait, or landscape shapes. Lightweight (25g). Priced at 4,490 JPY (tax-inclusive).
• Natural Stone Memorial Tablet [きせき] (Kiseki) Handcrafted natural stone memorial tablet made in Japan by a craftsman. Each piece is unique. Dimensions 62×40mm, height 145mm; weight 330g. Priced at 135,000 JPY (tax-inclusive).
• Pet Urn & Cover [やすらぎ] (Yasuragi) Combined set of a white ceramic urn (pottery) and a pale sky-blue fabric cover for pet remains. Available in 2.3sun (9cm diameter) and 3sun (12cm diameter) sizes. Priced at 6,800–8,950 JPY (tax-inclusive).
• Canvas Photo [いろどり] (Irodori) Fabric canvas print of a memorial photograph, producing a warm, painterly finish. Two size options: 180×180mm or 273×220mm. Wooden frame; weight approximately 180g. Priced at 10,700 JPY (tax-inclusive).
• SouSou Memorial Movie (メモリアルムービー) AI-generated memorial video service. From one or more photographs of the deceased, AI generates a 2–3 minute video with reproduced expressions and movements, set to music with optional text overlay. Supports colorization of black-and-white photos, BGM selection, and minor photo adjustments. Delivered within 24 hours. Offered on a performance-based pricing model.
• Insurance Claim Support Service (保険金請求サポートサービス) B2B service for insurance agencies. When a policyholder who has linked SouSou passes away, their death information is shared with the agency, enabling proactive outreach to beneficiaries to file insurance claims, preventing unpaid claims.
• Mutual Aid Society End-of-Life Support Service (互助会向け終活サポートサービス) B2B service for mutual aid and funeral societies. Notifies the society when a member registered on SouSou passes away, enabling the society to proactively contact the family about accumulated savings plans and pre-arranged funeral contracts. Reduces missed service opportunities caused by families being unaware of existing contracts.
• Ending Notebook Binding/Printing Service (エンディングノート製本サービス) App-created ending notebook content is printed, bound, and shipped to the user's home as a physical book. Cover includes name and creation date; back cover contains a QR code linked to electronic signature data. Priced at 25,000 JPY with campaign pricing at 50% off offered briefly.

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability5 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Algordanza Japan (アルゴダンザ・ジャパン)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 June 2026Swiss-origin memorial diamond company producing diamonds from cremated remains. Partnership enables death notifications to be sent to Algordanza when SouSou users (who are also Algordanza pre-contract clients) pass away, ensuring families are properly guided through the memorial diamond process.
• Hoken Mishuseihonpo (保険見直し本舗)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 January 2025Major insurance agency with over 40 insurer partnerships and approximately 380 nationwide stores. The 'insurance claim support service' shares death notifications with the agency when policyholders pass away, enabling proactive outreach to beneficiaries to prevent unpaid insurance claims. Featured in Hoken Mainichi Shimbun and Fund Information publications.
• Alpha Club Musashino (アルファクラブ武蔵野)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 January 2025Major funeral services and mutual aid group operating the Sagami Reiden funeral brand. Alpha Club Musashino integrates SouSou's death notification system to proactively reach bereaved families of their members about accumulated mutual aid funds and funeral pre-contracts. This enables member service quality improvement and family engagement even when funerals are held by competing companies.
• Memory Group (メモリードグループ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of Japan's largest funeral groups, handling approximately 20,000 funerals annually in Gunma and Nagasaki prefectures. Also provides small-sum short-term insurance for funeral expenses. Partners with SouSou to receive death notifications for members with pre-arranged funeral contracts.
• my FinTech (my FinTech株式会社)coreTechnology or Integrationmy FinTech provides the FPoS platform — the government-certified electronic certificate service that enables My Number Card-based identity verification in SouSou. Their myJPKI service performs daily electronic certificate validations that detect potential death events. This is the core technology infrastructure enabling SouSou's digital death detection.
• Tomoe Togyo (トモエ陶業)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCeramic manufacturer with pre-war history producing urns and Buddhist ritual items. Collaborated on physical memorial products (虹珠/Nijishima mini urn with NFC tags) linked to SouSou's digital memorial pages. Featured at the Funeral Business Fair.
• Saihō-ji Temple Western Cemetery (浄土宗 西方寺)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner1622-founded Jodo-shu temple in Toshima-ku, Tokyo. Exploring new forms of memorial practices. Temple head (小山正晴) serves as a domain expert on SouSou's advisory board.
• Regional Healthcare Coordination Platform (株式会社地域ヘルスケア連携基盤/CHCP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor healthcare group driving regional integrated care through medical M&A and management support. CHCP Trast invested in SouSou, and the partnership explores healthcare-end-of-life coordination opportunities.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Eterneva: Eterneva is a US-based memorial diamond company that transforms ashes or cremated remains into keepsake diamonds. Comparable to SouSou through the Algordanza Japan partnership, both occupying the post-death memorial goods segment with B2B2C distribution through funeral partners.
• Parting Stone: Parting Stone is a US company offering cremation remains transformation into solidified 'stones' for families as an alternative to traditional urns. Comparable to SouSou in the memorial goods space adjacent to cremation/death care, though focused on a specific product rather than a full digital platform.

Direct peers

• Cake: Cake is a US-based digital end-of-life planning platform offering end-of-life planning, posthumous message delivery, and executor decision-making tools. Highly comparable to SouSou in core functionality—digital ending planning and posthumous messaging—though operating in the US market with different regulatory and identity infrastructure.
• Lantern: Lantern is a US-based end-of-life planning platform offering advance care planning, end-of-life guidance, and family decision-making tools. Comparable to SouSou in digital end-of-life planning focus, with similar B2B enterprise sales motion into healthcare and insurance providers.
• SafeBeyond: SafeBeyond is an Israel-based digital legacy platform enabling users to create time-locked messages, videos, and instructions delivered posthumously. Directly comparable to SouSou's time capsule letter feature and digital will/legacy use case.
• Everplans: Everplans is a US digital end-of-life planning platform that helps individuals organize and securely store critical information, documents, and wishes for end-of-life scenarios. Closely comparable to SouSou's ending notebook and secure data storage model with B2B distribution to financial advisors and employers.

Regional players

• 鎌倉新書 (Kamakura Shinsho): Kamakura Shinsho is a Japanese company operating end-of-life information platforms including 'ii-sougi' (いい葬儀) funeral comparison service and other senior-care information sites. Comparable to SouSou in the Japanese end-of-life market, but focused on funeral price comparison/info rather than digital identity and death detection.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SouSou_official

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors3 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SouSou