Startup of the Month: Bios Urn

Bios Urn is the world’s first biodegradable urn. This sustainable and eco-friendly product creates the foundation for a new tree. From the ashes of a loved one, seeds can be sown to create something beautiful; it’s all about the natural circle of life. Apart from our flagship product, Bios Urn have recently introduced the Bios Incube, which allows the tree to be planted indoors, at home. 

My brother Gerard and I started the company after 15 years of nature-related projects. We were working in the design industry at the time but we were tired of that and decided to bring our own idea to the market. It took off really quickly and we soon found ourselves in Gerard’s living room assembling urns, not only for individuals but also retailers. A few months later we were working full-time, funded through a combination of Bios Urns sales and a crowdfunding campaign.

The idea behind Bios Urn came from our grandmother. She lived on a farm all her life and had a close connection to nature. When Gerard was a kid, he was planting vegetables with her in the garden when they found a dead bird. Her natural response was to make a hole and bury it with some of the seeds that she had in her hand. It was in her nature to bury the body and initiate a new life in the process. This action is what inspired Gerard to create the product, together with the idea of changing the way people see death.

A common concern is that of the tree dying. But if you want an experience that relies more on life than death, then this is it. It is important to remember that this is a process that requires time and effort. There’s always a risk of the tree dying but that’s what makes it so rewarding when you get it right. Death is just a word, a construction of the human mind. The only thing that’s real is life.

I went to California in 2015 to meet one of our first customers. She told me that she was waiting for the seedling to grow out of the earth because that moment would be like her mom was back. And that’s it. That’s exactly what Bios Urn communicates, a focus on the circle of life. The deathcare industry is the only industry in the world that sells a product that nobody wants. Maybe Bios Urn can be the first product that people buy because they actually want it.

Learn more about Bios Urn at urnabios.com.