SAN DIEGO — On Tuesday, March 4, 2025, legal tech innovator Trust & Will—ranked No. 41 on CNBC’s 2024 Disruptor 50 list—announced a $25 million Series C funding round, pushing its total haul to $75 million. Led by Moderne Ventures, with Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures, UBS, and Erie Insurance joining, the round aims to turbocharge the San Diego firm’s mission: making estate planning accessible via artificial intelligence. CEO Cody Barbo told CNBC the valuation has soared over 5x since its 2020 Series B ($169 million per PitchBook), now “in the hundreds of millions”—though specifics stayed under wraps.
AI Meets Legacy: A New Frontier
“AI enables families and advisors to plan with greater clarity and confidence,” Barbo said in a release, combining tech and “human compassion.” The cash will fuel AI tools to streamline wills, trusts, and probate—think smarter document drafting and state-specific compliance. Born from Barbo and co-founder Daniel Jordan’s frustration with costly, lawyer-heavy estate planning, Trust & Will launched in 2017 to digitize a $180 billion industry stuck in the past. “Banking’s online, taxes too—why not wills?” they asked.
Unlike LegalZoom and Rocket Lawyer’s broad legal menus or FreeWill’s barebones templates, Trust & Will zeroes in on customized, legally valid estate docs with human oversight. Its recent annual report flags a gap: 83% of Americans see estate planning as vital, yet only 31% have wills, and 55% lack plans. Over 1 million have started legacy planning on its platform, with “hundreds of thousands” completing plans or settling probate.
Partnerships and Star Power
Trust & Will’s dual-track growth—direct-to-consumer and B2B—shines. Tie-ups with Bank of America, USAA, and Navy Federal embed its tools in financial giants, while sports partnerships with the Los Angeles Kings and San Diego Wave broaden reach. A national TV ad featuring Super Bowl champ Matthew Stafford and wife Kelly, its first celebrity ambassadors, hit airwaves this month. “Every family deserves this,” Barbo said, eyeing a future where estate planning’s as routine as a savings account.
What’s Next for Trust & Will in 2025?
The $25M injection—amid Oracle’s EHR outage and Trump’s Bitcoin reserve buzz—signals legal tech’s hot streak. With MWC 2025 folding and Tesla’s stock skid, Trust & Will’s AI bet could leapfrog rivals if it nails user trust (83% demand, per its data, meets 31% adoption). Will it hit a $1B valuation by 2026, as X posts speculate? Growth hinges on scaling AI without losing the human touch—watch for adoption stats and Stafford’s ad impact. This Series C’s no mere milestone; it’s a legacy play in motion.
