rewrite this title Trust & Will Raised $4.5 Million from Credit Union Collective Curql – Finovate

Digital estate planning company Trust & Will raised $4.5 in funding from credit union collective Curql.

The investment takes the company’s Series C round total to $32 million.

San Diego, California-based Trust & Will won Best of Show in its Finovate debut at FinovateFall 2023 in New York.

Digital estate planning innovator Trust & Will secured an investment of $4.5 million from collaborative credit union ecosystem, Curql. The funding adds to the company’s Series C funding round, announced last month, bringing the total raised to $32 million.

“This partnership with Curql is incredibly meaningful, not just strategically, but personally,” Trust & Will CEO and Founder Cody Barbo said. “Curql represents a network of mission-driven credit unions committed to innovation, member service, and values that deeply align with ours. From our first credit union partnership in 2018 to today, we’ve seen the power of integrating estate planning into holistic financial wellness. This investment validates the work we’ve done and accelerates our ability to scale solutions that directly benefit millions of credit union members.”

Trust & Will will use the capital to expand estate planning access. Since inception in 2017, Trust & Will has helped more than one million Americans begin legacy planning. The San Diego, California-based company offers secure, attorney-approved online solutions to empower users to build wills, trusts, healthcare directives, and other critical estate planning documents—all in compliance with state-specific regulations. Trust & Will’s platform supports more than 17,000 financial advisors, as well as 150+ enterprise partners and financial institutions.

The company will also leverage the funds to launch a credit union service organization or CUSO that is designed to serve credit union members nationwide. Trust & Will has been a friend to the credit union industry from the beginning, announcing its first credit union partnership in 2018. Today, the company counts more than 200 credit unions among its partners.

“Forming a CUSO is a natural next step,” Barbo explained. “Over the past several years, we’ve built trust and traction with more than 200 credit union partners. Establishing a CUSO allows us to deepen those relationships, tailor our offerings, and collaborate in a structure credit unions are familiar and comfortable with. This isn’t just about scalability, it’s about alignment. A CUSO enables shared investment, shared values, and shared outcomes.”

Curql is a collaborative ecosystem consisting of more than 130 credit unions who jointly invest in fintechs with a goal of bringing innovative new technologies and solutions to credit union members. Launched in 2020, Curql includes former founders, operators, and leaders from both the fintech and investment worlds. The collective’s flagship—Curql Fund I—invests in firms that develop financial services technology that “revolutionizes and innovates” the way people deal with their finances.

Nick Evens, President and CEO of Curql, underscored Trust & Will’s innovation, calling the firm “the rare fintech that’s both mission-aligned and market proven.” He added:

“Estate planning is one of the most overlooked components of financial wellness, yet it touches everyone. What impressed us was not just their growth or technology, but their understanding of the credit union ethos. They’re not just selling a service; they’re providing peace of mind, generational planning, and value that strengthens the member relationship. That’s the kind of value that makes a difference.”

Trust & Will’s funding announcement and CUSO launch come at a pivotal time for credit unions. These membership-based financial institutions continue to grow—topping 143 million total members as of the end of 2024—but from technological change to policy uncertainty, credit unions are facing new challenges to attract new members and better engage current members.

“Credit unions are navigating a lot: rapid digital transformation, increasing member expectations, and pressure to stay competitive while remaining values-driven,” Evens said. “At Curql, our role is to be the bridge; to identify, invest in, and help scale fintech solutions that address those challenges. Whether it’s digital estate planning, cybersecurity, or fraud prevention, our job is to help credit unions deliver the tools their members want today and tomorrow, without compromising who they are—doing it with the speed and relevance of today’s market demands.”

For more from Evens on the state of credit unions today, check out his recent podcast interview with Finovate VP and podcast host, Greg Palmer.

Trust & Will won Best of Show in its Finovate debut at FinovateFall 2023 in New York. At the conference, the company showed how its platform provides easy-to-use solutions to help individuals create their estate plans, as well as access affordable, online probate services. More recently, Trust & Will introduced Delegate Access for Trust & Will Advisors. This enhancement will enable advisors to grant trusted assistants the ability to manage tasks on the advisor’s behalf. Delegate Access promotes seamless collaboration, improves client communications, and helps advisors save time. Also this month, Trust & Will announced that they have been selected to join Moderne Ventures’ 2025 Passport Class. A strategic venture capital and growth equity firm, Moderne Ventures offers a six-month industry immersion program—the Moderne Passport Program—that provides “education, exposure, insight, and relationships to drive customer growth.” Trust & Will was one of six companies selected for this year’s cohort.

“2025 is a big year for us,” Barbo said. “With this new capital, we’re focused on expanding our enterprise offering, continuing to grow our partner network, and investing in the tools that make estate planning even more intuitive and accessible for consumers and advisors alike. Expect to see deeper integrations with financial institutions, more personalization for users, and continued leadership in bringing trust, transparency, and simplicity to an area of finance that has long been overlooked.”

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio

Views: 0