Request an operation cremation online Deceased, for one price, return Ashes in 72 hours And with the option to convert it to Diamond It is an innovative proposal for a Portuguese company that wants to open up Europe and explore greener ways of working.
Explains this in an interview with Yves Vitor Oliveira, CEO and founder of CRE-MAR, the first online cremation company in Portugal and winner of Road 2 of the Web Summit, one of the technology events The most important in the world.
The process is “too fast” so as not to prolong the mourning period. As soon as the interested customer fills in all the data and requests the service through the website, the company approaches in less than two hours to sign the issuance of the authority.
After this step, the body is taken to a cold room at one of the local mortuaries where they work, where it remains for 24 hours, then cremated and the ashes delivered to the client in a urn.
The whole process, from removing the body to returning the ashes, costs €895 ($1005), “the cheapest at this time”, and implemented in a maximum of three days (72 hours).
“It’s a business that is here to help people. It has a social aspect and it makes me happier and content, the fact of helping. I didn’t oppose funeral work, I wanted to improve it”, explains Oliveira, who confirms that the procedure also follows Less pollution.
A very ‘live’ market
The startup was born last September and has performed nine cremations, but its goal is growth and even planning to change its name to give it a more “international” perspective.
Before the end of the year, they will be able to perform in the main Portuguese cities and by the end of 2022 they aspire to be present throughout the Portuguese territory and advance in the local market.
According to CRE-MAR estimates, cremation is used as the average in Portugal in a 40% of deaths.
“We have a target of getting close to 20% of the market, cremating 8,500 bodies annually (…) in the next few years, and that ensures there is enough turnover to supply the business,” Oliveira adds.
Cremations are increasing in many countries, which is why CRE-MAR wants to make a European leap by creating franchises in SpainAnd FranceAnd Italia s Finland – As the percentage is about 50%, according to the company’s data- and Sweden – More than 70% – in order to capture 5% of the local market in the long term.
The Portuguese CEO sums up: “The funeral home business is ceremonies, while for us it’s business, so that’s the only way to grow.”
From Ashes to Diamonds
And the possibility of turning the ashes into a diamond is one option, thanks to an agreement with the Spanish subsidiary of the Swiss multinational Algordanza.
CRE-MAR delivers the ashes to Algordanza headquarters, where they are subjected to complex chemical processing These include extracting carbon from the remains, turning it into graphite, crystallizing it, and finally sculpting.
Each procedure depends on the concentration of carbon and each diamond natural bluish tone own because of The presence of boron in the body And the reflection of light according to its physical structure.
“We have a waiting list because every diamond process is slow and treated personally,” CRE-MAR CEO explains.
diamonds ranging from 3900 (4,380 USD) up to 32000 EUR (35,900 USD) according to the carat, whether raw or according to the different types of pieces.
The Portuguese company’s next step is to launch an investment round to implement alkaline hydrolysis, which is a more environmentally friendly method and is already legal in places like Washington.
Formula Reduces carbon emissions And this, assures Oliveira, will be one of the alternatives to funerals in the future.
“Beeraholic. Friend of animals everywhere. Evil web scholar. Zombie maven.”