This European Startup Just Raised a Record Pre-Seed to Redefine Life Insurance

Jan de Vries · 2026-08-25

Solace Care, a startup based in Stockholm, just secured a major pre-Seed funding round of $2.3 million. They're tackling a tough but essential topic: end-of-life planning and support. The goal? To expand their partnerships with insurers and brokers, push into new markets like the Netherlands and the UK, and grow their team. It’s a significant vote of confidence. The round was led by Spintop Ventures, with participation from Plug and Play. They were also joined by a notable group of industry veterans, including former insurance CEOs Caroline Farberger and Fredrik Solberg, alongside other seasoned investors like Further Than Capital and Wave Ventures. ### The Problem with Traditional Insurance Let's be honest, life insurance has felt pretty static for a long time. The CEO, Valtteri Korkiakoski, puts it bluntly: "Today, insurance pays out and then the family is on their own for the next six months." That's the gap Solace Care is trying to fill. They’re not just about the financial payout; they're about providing real, ongoing support. "We are redefining personal insurance," says Korkiakoski. "It should help the family keep going." ### A Surge in European Insurtech Investment This funding didn't happen in a vacuum. It's part of a broader wave of investment flowing into European insurance technology and digital care solutions. Over the past year, we've seen over $218 million invested in similar companies. Here’s a quick snapshot: - Festina Finance (Copenhagen): Over $27.3 million to modernize life insurance infrastructure. - mea Platform (UK): $46.1 million for their InsurTech platform. - Oska Health (Frankfurt): $12 million for a digital care model distributed through insurers. Even in a different category, Stockholm's pet insurance startup Lassie raised a massive $69 million. The point is, investors are betting big on tech transforming how we handle risk and care. ### How Solace Care Actually Works Founded in 2025 by Korkiakoski and Josef Karakoca (who previously helped scale the digital health company Mindler), Solace Care is a digital platform sold through insurers. It’s built for two key moments: before and after a loss. **Before a loss**, it’s a planning tool. Policyholders can securely record their wishes, organize important documents, and leave clear instructions for their family. Think of it as a digital vault that turns a policy from just covering an individual to actively supporting the loved ones who will manage everything. **After a loss**, the platform guides the family step-by-step through the daunting practical administration—dealing with institutions, paperwork, and logistics—while also providing access to human support. ### Impressive Traction and the Road Ahead The growth speaks for itself. From zero users in mid-2025, they now support over 25,000 people across Sweden, Finland, and Norway. "The growth has not come from marketing," Valtteri explains. "It has come from partners who put our solution in front of their customers." The service is currently available in Swedish, Finnish, and Norwegian, with plans to add Danish and Dutch. The new capital will fuel their expansion, deepening roots in the Nordics while officially launching in the Netherlands and the UK, where they've already lined up local advisors. Co-founder Josef Karakoca hits on the core value shift: "A product that does nothing for you until you die is a tough sell. Put planning and support around it and the same policy suddenly does something for the family right now." That's the real innovation here—making life insurance meaningful long before it's ever claimed.