Founding background and mission
Prismm is a startup designed to help banks retain family assets after an account holder dies by integrating beneficiary and estate planning directly into accounts from day one. Founded in 2020 by sisters Martha Underwood and Shella Sylla, the company draws on the co-founders’ decades of experience in banking and finance.
The concept originated from personal experiences with family emergencies. In 2017, their father was hospitalized after a fall in Miami following Hurricane Irma, leaving the family unaware of where financial documents and important records were kept. Later, during the COVID-19 pandemic while working at a bank, Underwood observed families struggling to locate accounts and manage bills following a loved one’s death. Recognizing a lack of transition infrastructure compared to wealth-growth platforms, the founders built Prismm to digitize and streamline the process.
Products and features
Prismm allows account holders to grant designated family members access to accounts and documents in advance. Upon an account holder’s death, authorized individuals can log in, view assets and documents centrally, and execute eligible beneficiary transfers digitally. Because identity, consent, and supporting files are maintained beforehand, transfers can be completed remotely across different states.
The company features two main products and a third in development:
- Prismm Designate: Enables banks to provide customers with a digital method to update beneficiaries quickly.
- Prismm Anchor: Offers account holders a secure tool to track assets, accounts, and documents across multiple financial institutions with controlled access for designated persons.
- Prismm Continuity: An upcoming product intended to guide families and bank staff step-by-step through the transfer process.
Addressing estate attrition
Underwood and Sylla describe their platform as infrastructure addressing “estate attrition,” a phenomenon where financial institutions lose billions in deposits annually because heirs transfer inherited funds elsewhere due to complex or absent transition systems. By integrating directly into bank cores, Prismm aims to reduce friction for families while helping financial institutions retain assets and build relationships with younger generations of consumers.
Prismm presented its platform on the Startup Battlefield stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 in San Francisco.