Russian start-up launches ‘Uber-style’ funeral app

Umer is a new Russian startup that allows the bereaved to organise funerals through an app.

The drawn out process of organising a funeral is the last thing most people want to deal with when they have recently lost a loved one. Way back in 2010 we saw this digital platform that helps the bereaved with the admin surrounding organising a funeral. We live in a world where smartphones have made most services on demand – films, taxis and food to name just a few. Now funerals have been added to the services available at the tap of a screen.

Umer allows bereaved Russians to plan the funerals of their recently-departed friends and relatives through an app. Umer, meaning “he’s dead” in Russian, is set to launch in the next couple of months. Users simply type in the deceased’s name, date of death, religion, and address and are offered a choice of local cemeteries, funeral directors, along with pricing information. Some interesting features include the option to choose between cremation and burial, and the chance to pick out the headstone. Once those choices are made, the app puts the bereaved directly in contact with an operator who finalizes the arrangements and provides all the requisite paperwork that one needs after a death.

We recently wrote about this Indian company making religious services bookable through an app. Is it just a matter of time before more religious services become available on demand?