Eterneva Pivoted to Funeral Home Partnerships During COVID-19

Eterneva was founded in 2016 to convert cremated remains into memorial diamonds, operating as a direct-to-consumer company. In late 2019, co-founders Adelle Archer and Garrett Ozar appeared on Shark Tank and secured backing from Mark Cuban.

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, Eterneva's direct-to-consumer model was disrupted. Rather than wait, the company made a strategic decision to pivot toward funeral homes, offering to digitize their arrangement materials and contracts within 72 hours. Archer described it as not a future direction but an immediate way to add value during a crisis.

The pivot proved successful. Eterneva signed partnerships with funeral homes across multiple states, served over 500 customers, and raised an oversubscribed $3 million seed extension round, bringing total funding to $4.8 million. Baylor University began studying the company's grief wellness program.

Eterneva served over 500 customers, partnered with funeral homes across multiple states, and raised $3 million more to reach $4.8 million total funding.

The COVID-19 pandemic eliminated Eterneva's primary direct-to-consumer sales channels, forcing a rapid strategic response

The company chose to embed itself in funeral home operations rather than wait for consumer demand to recover

The pivot created new B2B revenue streams while maintaining the core product offering

Academic validation from Baylor University demonstrated the lasting value of the company's approach

When a core sales channel disappears overnight, embed in the adjacent industry's infrastructure rather than wait for it to return.

Eterneva expanded to laboratories in Austin, Germany, and Switzerland. The company partnered with Phaneuf Funeral Homes & Crematorium in New Hampshire and Vermont, and with Schoedinger Funeral Home in Columbus, Ohio. Additional funding was used to expand the Austin diamond laboratory and invest in the digital grief wellness experience. The company's celebration of life program is now being studied by researchers at Baylor University.