GoKawiilPrismm builds estate-transfer tools into bank accounts to retain inherited deposits
Prismm, a startup founded in 2020 by sisters Martha Underwood and Shella Sylla, builds beneficiary and estate-planning features directly into bank accounts so assets can pass to heirs more smoothly after an account holder dies. The company let account holders designate family members who can access accounts, aiming to replace manual, paperwork-heavy processes banks currently use. Prismm is presenting its product today on the Startup Battlefield stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026.
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Banks risk losing deposits when heirs, frustrated by opaque inheritance processes, move inherited funds to other institutions; embedding transition tools could help banks retain that money, according to the founders' account of the problem. The founders' personal experience—navigating a family emergency with no accessible financial records—illustrates a broader gap they say exists in financial infrastructure built for growth but not for transferring wealth. If adopted by banks, the approach could reshape how financial institutions manage customer relationships around life events like death.
- Prismm embeds beneficiary and estate planning directly into bank accounts from account opening.
- Founders Martha Underwood and Shella Sylla drew on personal and professional experience with inheritance-related financial chaos.
- The startup is pitching its product today at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026's Startup Battlefield.
Source: techcrunch.com — Aisha Malik, 2026-10-14
Published there as: “Prismm helps banks keep inherited money in-house”
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