Better Place Forests is a technology company.
Better Place Forests has raised $40.0M across 1 funding round.
Better Place Forests has raised $40.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Better Place Forests has raised $40.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Better Place Forests's investors include Mike Kerns, TCG (The Chernin Group).
Better Place Forests is not a technology company but a conservation-focused end-of-life service provider that creates North America's first memorial forests as sustainable alternatives to traditional cemeteries for cremated remains. Customers select and dedicate a memorial tree in protected forests, where ashes are returned to the earth, fostering healing through nature while supporting conservation; the company serves grieving families seeking meaningful, eco-friendly legacies rather than burial plots.[2][3][5] Founded in 2015 with around 120 employees and operations across nine U.S. forests, it recently transitioned to a 501(c)(3) nonprofit to prioritize mission-driven impact, grief support, educational workshops, and partnerships like planting saplings with the Arbor Day Foundation for every memorial tree.[1][4][6] This evolution emphasizes expanding conservation, community partnerships, and nature-based grief programs without altering customer service.[4]
Better Place Forests was founded in 2015 by Sandy Gibson, co-founder and CEO, alongside his childhood best friends, inspired by the loss of his parents; this personal motivation drove the creation of conservation memorial forests as a natural, uplifting alternative to cemeteries.[5] Early traction came from establishing America's first such forests, serving communities around nine locations and earning recognition like Fast Company's "World Changing Ideas" and "Most Innovative Companies" in 2020.[2][5] A pivotal shift occurred recently with its evolution into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, allowing greater focus on conservation, grief support, and partnerships while recommitting to its core mission of guiding people through loss via nature.[1][4]
While not a tech company, Better Place Forests rides the trend of sustainable end-of-life solutions amid rising cremation rates (over 50% in the U.S.) and demand for eco-conscious memorials, capitalizing on environmental awareness and nature-based therapy for grief. Timing aligns with growing conservation needs—wildfires, deforestation—and a shift from profit to nonprofit models for social enterprises, enabling scalable impact through philanthropy.[4][6] It influences the ecosystem by partnering with organizations like the Arbor Day Foundation (which has planted over 500 million trees) and land trusts, preserving high-value forests, promoting biodiversity stewardship, and normalizing natural burial alternatives that protect land for generations.[1][5][6]
Better Place Forests is poised to expand its network of memorial forests, deepen conservation via grants and partnerships, and broaden grief programs as nonprofit status unlocks funding and collaborations. Trends like climate-driven reforestation, personalized legacies, and mental health benefits of nature exposure will propel growth, potentially influencing policy on sustainable burials. Its influence may evolve from niche innovator to ecosystem leader, inspiring similar mission-aligned ventures while ensuring memorials endure as living tributes in a healing natural world—transforming loss into lasting planetary legacy, as envisioned since its founding.[1][4][6]
Better Place Forests has raised $40.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $40.0M Series B in January 2020.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1, 2020 | $40.0M Series B | Mike Kerns, TCG (The Chernin Group) |