2013: Creation of Testamento
Key dates and figures.
In 2013, on the eve of leaving, accompanied by his wife, for a two-week trek in the Amazon, Virgile Delporte worries and wonders what would happen to his children, if unfortunately he did not return from this trip. With information gleaned from the internet, he writes a will to protect his children and ensure his estate.
On his return from the trek, he decided to go to see a notary in order to have his will registered in the French will national database : (FCDDV for Fichier Central des Dispositions des Dernières Volontés). Virgile Delporte then learns that his DIY will had no legal value and that in the end, his wishes would not have been respected.
From this experience came the idea of creating a platform to allow everyone to prepare their succession. Understand in a few clicks who his heirs are, in the absence of a will. Also, to be able to express one’s last wishes. As well as to be able to name the persons who will be in charge of enforcing these wishes. And of course, being able to write a valid will.
IMT Starter program and Réseau Entreprendre: first awards
Accompanied by the IMT Starter incubator and Réseau Entreprendre (an entrepreneurship network), Testamento was, quite quickly, rewarded with numerous awards as shown below:
- March 15, 2013: Selection and entry into the IMT Starter incubator
- April 17, 2013: French BPI Support
- April 17, 2014: innovation Grand Public Award – Disruptnight 2014
- March 15, 2016: Best Insurtech 2016 – Global Fintech Challenge
- July 5, 2016: ID d’Argent, Digital Innovation Grand Prix 2016
- September 26, 2016: Finalist, Innovation competition of City of Paris
- July 2, 2017: Axa Vivatech Startup Trophy 2017
The ambition to democratize access to the will and allow as many people as possible to better prepare their estate is being realized. The proposed solution is simple: after answering a few questions, a client simply copies by hand, dates and signs the document generated by Testamento. As an option, he can send it by post to a corresponding notary, for him to register in the French will national database.
At Testamento, we believe that all key milestones of life should be easy to anticipate, including the very last one.
2016-2017: Developing a B2B offer
The platform, designed with notaries and family lawyers, was initially aimed at the general public. In 2017, it was decided to prepare a targeted offer on B2B (Business to Business). While continuing to offer services to the general public, Testamento also works with banks, insurance companies, mutuals and pension institutions.
Exclusive features for partners in the banking and insurance sector have each been developed with the same mission: to democratize succession-related approaches by making them more accessible and simpler. Here are some key dates:
- November 10, 2017: Fintech Go program from Crédit Agricole
- December 8, 2017: Finance Innovation Label as an insurtech
- May 17, 2018: selected by French Assurtech accelerator program
- September 26, 2018: Best Insurtech 2018 – Insurtech Business Week
February 2019: 3 million euros of capital raised
In order to achieve its growth objectives, Testamento raised three million euros in February 2019. France Mutualiste, the investment fund of Allianz France(InnovAllianz)and Malakoff Humanis (MM Innov’) have thus become minority shareholders. This opening of capital was made in order to accelerate the industrialization of solutions and to recruit more employees to cope with the growth of the business. This is one of the important key dates in the development of Testamento.
May 2019: Launch of Testamento Optimizer with Generali France
An example of B2B features: Testamento Optimizer. Co-designed with Generali, this tool for Generali 1,500 French employed financial advisors allows them to address the issue of succession. It consists of a free and simplified heritage diagnostic service, at the hands of the advisors.
November 2019: Testamento Beneficiary launches with MACIF Mutavie
With the integration of Testamento Beneficiary, the tool for generating and managing beneficiary clauses in the customer journey, all MACIF Mutavie customers benefit from Testamento technology. This innovative solution facilitates the management of beneficiary clauses in life insurance or group pension contracts. The 2,300 advisors of the MACIF Group and its partners can easily modify and update their clients’ beneficiary clauses via a 100% secure online solution.
May 2020: France Mutualiste offers Testamento services to its 225,000 members
Members of France Mutualiste can use Testamento Optimizer to carry out an estate check-up with their advisor. Other online services are offered with Testamento Planner: Inheritance info kit, Personal Inventory, last will and testament (optional registration with the FCDDV database remaining at cost for members).
October 2020: Tokyo Financial Award
In October 2020, Testamento was selected for the final round of the 2020 Tokyo Financial Award. This international competition featured 90 startups from 20 countries. To be one of the eleven non-Japanese startups selected is a satisfaction for Testamento but also a sign of the maturity of its approach. The support program associated with this award includes mentoring and Testamento will be able to analyze the Japanese market in detail. This will allow us to measure the interest of this country for Testamento services.
Testamento today
As for the Testamento team, it is now a team of about twenty collaborators, about fifteen of whom are based in Paris. The team consists of 13 developers and a sales and marketing team of 7 people. It is a team with complementary, dynamic and experienced skills since the average experience of the team is 14 years.
Today, Testamento’s services are accessible to 2.5 million people through its partners.
It can be said that Testamento has established himself as the leader in France on the succession. Its products now enable a growing number of people to prepare and secure their estate, ensuring that their wishes are respected.