Tulip and Solace brands meet growing demand for a digital experience by offering simple, transparent deathcare solutions
ORLANDO, Fla. – November 2, 2022 – Foundation Partners Group, a leading provider of innovative deathcare solutions, today announced that it has acquired Solace Cremation, a Portland, Oregon-based online cremation company serving families in Oregon, California and Florida. Adding the Solace brand to its existing digital funeral service, Tulip Cremation, acquired in July 2019, extends Foundation Partners’ lead in the direct-to-consumer deathcare market. The company now can offer digital arrangements to nearly 50 million families across the U.S.
“Consumer attitudes toward death have changed, and so have their expectations around transparency and service options,” said Kent Robertson, Foundation Partners Group president and CEO. “Families are purchasing items online that they would have never thought of buying through digital channels five or ten years ago – everything from eyeglasses to cars and now even funeral services. During the COVID-19 pandemic, funeral service providers were restricted from traditional in-person meetings and had to find new ways to make arrangements. This accelerated the move to digital service offerings and reshaped the funeral profession. Just like the trend toward cremation will continue over the next 10 years, we believe the growth of new, contemporary digital services will accelerate as well.”
Founded by former Nike executives Keith Crawford and David Odusanya, Solace has experienced double-digit growth since its launch in 2019. “Looking across the landscape of industry players, there was only one organization that got what we got – that the funeral experience needed reimagining,” Crawford said. “Foundation Partners is a team of innovative thinkers, industry experts and inclusive collaborators who are playing the long game and investing in the future of deathcare.”
Robertson said 2022 has been a record year for his company’s deal velocity as more and more funeral business owners choose Foundation Partners as their partner of choice. “The funeral industry business model is changing, led by the increased demand for cremation, but we’ve been investing in that transition for the last 12 years,” he said. “Now that consumer preferences are shifting to digital experiences, we’re expanding our platform to serve the needs of every family, from those that want meet in person to those who wish to interact online. By leveraging our existing cremation expertise and infrastructure, we can manage the entire continuum of care for loved ones entrusted to us. This will enable us to rapidly expand the online cremation category and evolve Tulip and Solace into national brands families can trust.”