# Tumbleweed

> AI\-powered end\-of\-life planning platform embedded in life insurance products as a policyholder benefit

## At a glance

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Category | Customer Engagement |
| Type | Solutions Provider |
| Region | NA |
| Headquarters | Des Moines, Iowa, USA |
| Founded | 2023 |
| Stage | Startup |
| Employees | 1-10 |
| Funding | Seed (accelerator prizes and grants) |

## Overview

Tumbleweed is a customer engagement platform for life insurance carriers, focused on end-of-life planning, legacy preservation, and caregiver support. The company embeds its tools directly into carrier member portals as a value-added benefit for aging policyholders, with carriers accounting for over 90% of its revenue. It serves the estimated one in five Americans managing caregiving responsibilities for aging parents while also raising children.

The platform is delivered as a web-based SaaS application and includes a self-directed planning guide, encrypted document storage, and an AI care companion called CeCe. Carriers deploy Tumbleweed under their own brand or co-branded, with touchpoints built around quarterly check-ins and annual tax-season planning reviews. The company was founded in 2023 by Paul H. Richardson Jr. following a personal experience with legacy and caregiving challenges.

Tumbleweed launched Product 2.0 in October 2024 after extended user testing and has onboarded multiple carrier partners, including Wellabe, a Des Moines-based mutual insurer. The company completed the Global Insurance Accelerator (GIA) 2024 cohort and the NMotion accelerator powered by gener8tor, and received grant funding from the Iowa Economic Development Authority.

## Products & services

### Tumbleweed Planning Platform

A web-based, self-directed guide that helps users organize critical documents, capture personal wishes, and record end-of-life preferences. Accessible on any device.

**Key features:**

- Step\-by\-step guided planning workflows
- Secure storage for legal documents, insurance policies, and medical directives
- Consolidated family access point for key contacts and wishes

*Target users:* Life insurance policyholders and their family caregivers

### CeCe \(Care Companion\)

An AI-powered virtual assistant available 24/7 to provide guidance and resources during caregiving transitions and life planning challenges.

**Key features:**

- Conversational AI for caregiving questions and next\-step guidance
- Available at any hour without scheduling
- Integrated with planning platform for contextual support

*Target users:* Caregivers supporting aging parents or managing a loved one's estate

### Carrier Integration

White-label or co-branded deployment within carrier member portals, designed to increase policyholder engagement among aging members.

**Key features:**

- Quarterly check\-in touchpoints built into the carrier engagement calendar
- Annual tax\-season planning review as a structured benefit moment
- Branded to carrier specifications

*Target users:* Life insurance carriers, mutual insurers, and group benefits administrators

### Resource Library

Curated educational content to support families navigating caregiving, estate logistics, and legacy planning.

**Key features:**

- Guides on legal, financial, and emotional aspects of caregiving
- Partner affiliate resources integrated into content
- Regularly updated to reflect common planning questions

*Target users:* Policyholders and their adult children

## Category & focus

- Subcategories: Policyholder portals, end\-of\-life planning, digital member benefits, caregiver support
- Insurance verticals: Life & Annuity, Group Benefits
- Target customers: Carriers, Employers

## Notable customers

- Wellabe \(Des Moines\-based mutual insurer\) \-\- provides Tumbleweed tools to Mutual Shareholder members as a value\-added benefit

## Links

- Website: <https://tumbleweedplan.com>
- Directory profile: <https://insurtechlist.com/companies/tumbleweed/>
- Itc vegas 2026 speaker: <https://vegas.insuretechconnect.com/speakers/paul-richardson-jr>

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*Last updated: 2026\-04\-09*