As the global financial landscape braces for the "Great Wealth Transfer"—an era defined by the movement of an estimated $84 trillion from older generations to their heirs over the next two decades—the banking industry faces a systemic crisis of "estate attrition." When an account holder passes away, financial institutions frequently lose the associated deposits and investment portfolios because they lack the infrastructure to facilitate a seamless transition to the next generation. Addressing this multibillion-dollar leak, Prismm, a fintech startup specializing in estate planning and beneficiary infrastructure, took the stage today at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 in San Francisco. The company’s mission is to move estate transition from a manual, paper-heavy legal burden to a digital-first banking feature, ensuring that assets remain within the institution while providing grieving families with immediate clarity.

Founded in 2020 by sisters Martha Underwood and Shella Sylla, Prismm enters the market at a time when legacy banks are desperate to retain the business of Millennials and Gen Z heirs. Underwood and Sylla, who collectively possess decades of experience in the banking and finance sectors, argue that while the industry has spent billions on platforms for wealth growth and tracking, it has almost entirely ignored the "transition" phase of the customer lifecycle. By integrating directly into bank cores, Prismm allows financial institutions to offer beneficiary and estate management tools as a native part of the banking experience, effectively securing the relationship with the heir before the transfer of wealth even occurs.

The Genesis of Prismm: From Personal Crisis to Infrastructure Solution

The impetus for Prismm was not born in a boardroom, but rather in the aftermath of a natural disaster. In 2017, following the devastation of Hurricane Irma in Miami, the founders’ father was hospitalized after a fall while assisting a neighbor with roof repairs. In the high-stress environment of a medical emergency, the family realized a jarring truth: their mother, who had traditionally relied on their father to manage the household’s complex financial and legal paperwork, was unable to locate or access critical documents. Underwood and Sylla, despite their professional backgrounds in finance, found themselves equally in the dark.

While their father eventually recovered, the experience highlighted a fundamental flaw in how financial information is stored and shared. The problem became even more pronounced three years later during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, Underwood was serving as an executive at a major bank, where she witnessed a surge in families entering branches in states of confusion and grief. These families were not only mourning a loss but were also forced to navigate a labyrinth of manual processes to find accounts, pay outstanding bills, and secure the financial future of surviving spouses.

"That’s when it hit us that this is an infrastructure problem," Underwood said during her presentation at TechCrunch Disrupt. "We’ve created all of these platforms for wealth growth and tracking, but almost nothing for transition. It’s still very much all manual. We realized we could digitize this process and solve it for the millions of other families who will inevitably face this issue."

Bridging the Gap: The Three-Tiered Product Suite

Prismm’s solution is designed to be embedded within the existing digital ecosystems of banks, credit unions, and wealth management firms. By doing so, the company circumvents the "friction" that often plagues standalone consumer estate planning apps. The company’s strategy is built around three core products: Prismm Designate, Prismm Anchor, and the upcoming Prismm Continuity.

Prismm Designate: Streamlining Beneficiary Management

The first point of failure in estate transition is often outdated or missing beneficiary information. Prismm Designate provides a digital interface for bank customers to update their beneficiaries in real-time. For the bank, this reduces the administrative burden of manual data entry and ensures that legal records are current, which significantly accelerates the payout process when a death occurs.

Prismm Anchor: The Digital Vault for Total Asset Visibility

Prismm Anchor serves as a secure, institution-backed repository where account holders can catalog assets across multiple institutions, including property deeds, insurance policies, and digital accounts. Crucially, it allows for controlled access, enabling designated family members to view specific information ahead of an emergency. Unlike third-party "digital vaults," Anchor is offered through the financial institution, leveraging the trust and security protocols already established between the bank and the client.

Prismm Continuity: Guiding the Transition

Currently in development, Prismm Continuity is designed to be the "GPS" for the inheritance process. It provides a step-by-step digital roadmap for both bank staff and grieving families. By automating the verification of identity, consent, and supporting documentation, Continuity aims to allow heirs to complete asset transfers remotely, regardless of their geographical location.

Analyzing the Economic Impact: Combatting Estate Attrition

The financial stakes of Prismm’s mission are substantial. Industry data from organizations like Cerulli Associates suggests that over 90% of heirs move their inherited assets away from their parents’ financial advisor or bank shortly after receiving them. This phenomenon, known as estate attrition, represents a massive loss of liquidity for traditional banks.

The reason for this mass exodus is often lack of engagement. If an heir’s first interaction with their parent’s bank is a cold, bureaucratic process involving death certificates and legal hurdles, they are unlikely to maintain a long-term relationship with that institution. Prismm’s infrastructure flips this dynamic by facilitating a relationship between the bank and the heir years before the wealth actually moves. By making the bank the "hero" that simplifies a difficult life event, the institution increases its chances of retaining those deposits.

Furthermore, Prismm addresses a significant demographic reality: the role of women in the estate process. "Women are typically the caregivers," Underwood noted. "Asking me to manage the documents for my mom and dad while I take care of my kids and my husband becomes too much. This needs to be built as infrastructure with as little friction as possible." By catering to the needs of the primary decision-makers in the family unit, Prismm helps banks appeal to a demographic that controls an increasing share of American wealth.

Market Context and the Startup Battlefield Competition

Prismm is one of the select startups competing in the Startup Battlefield at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026. This competition has historically been a launchpad for companies that go on to redefine their industries, with past participants including Dropbox, Fitbit, and Mint.

The 2026 cohort reflects a broader trend in the fintech sector: a shift away from "disrupting" banks and toward "enabling" them. As the initial wave of neobanks faces profitability challenges, the industry is seeing a surge in B2B2C models like Prismm’s, which provide the "plumbing" for legacy institutions to modernize their service offerings.

Observers at the event have noted that Prismm’s timing is particularly strategic. With interest rates remaining a key focus for banking profitability, the ability to retain low-cost deposits through estate transitions is a high-priority "stickiness" factor for Chief Financial Officers at major retail banks.

The Future of Generational Wealth Management

As Prismm moves through the Startup Battlefield competition, its founders are looking toward a future where "death tech" (or "thanatech") is no longer a niche category but a standard component of the global financial infrastructure. The company’s long-term vision is to become the universal standard for how money moves between generations.

"We will be the infrastructure that financial institutions use to move money to the next generation," Underwood stated. "We don’t only understand that you execute on the back end; we understand that you need to be proactive and build relationships with the next generation of consumers on the front end."

The winner of the Startup Battlefield will be announced on Thursday, October 15, 2026. Regardless of the competition’s outcome, Prismm has already highlighted a critical vulnerability in the global banking system. By digitizing the transition of assets, the company is not only solving a logistical problem for banks but is also alleviating one of the most significant stressors families face during their most vulnerable moments. In the high-stakes race to capture the Great Wealth Transfer, the winners will likely be the institutions that prioritize empathy and ease of transition—values that Prismm has baked into its core code.