46. Resting Reef

Resting Reef transforms human or pet ashes into underwater reef structures – helping people to honour loved ones while restoring marine ecosystems.

Founders: Aura Elena Murillo Pérez and Louise Lenborg Skajem
Year founded: 2022
Website: Resting Reef

When Aura Murillo Pérez’s father died unexpectedly in 2018, the confusing and drawn-out arrangements of his funeral only amplified her grief. She found that while other business sectors moved with the times, the funeral industry has remained largely unchanged for over a century – leading her to face an end-of-life service that felt empty and disconnected.

Years later, when working with Louise Lenborg Skajem researching sustainability and biomaterials, the pair connected over their personal experiences and decided to create something purposeful for both people and the planet. And so, Resting Reef was born.

Offering a meaningful and sustainable alternative to traditional funerals and memorials, its service turns human or pet ashes into custom underwater reef structures, which are placed in marine environments in need of restoration.

However, entering a traditionally conservative industry meant that people were reluctant to try something new. Moreover, actually getting the reefs underwater is complicated, and requires several permits, approval, and a lot of planning.

But when talking about Resting Reef’s life-affirming side – turning loss into something that helps new ecosystems grow – people quickly resonated with its mission.

“We knew it was essential to work closely with local communities. We engaged them early, listened to their needs and had conversations face-to-face, and by integrating their knowledge into our process, we built a collaborative approach,” explains Murillo Pérez.

“This not only helped us navigate regulations and restoration strategies but also allowed us to elevate the trust of the communities we partner with.”

After launching their pilot reef in Bali, the founders discovered that marine life bounced back fast – showing 14x more biodiversity than nearby damaged areas, with 84 different species found. Having proven both its concept and its impact, this revelation helped the company secure multiple business grants – including from Innovate UK – and Murillo Pérez was featured on Forbes’s 30 Under 30 Social Impact list in 2024.

Beyond its vision to expand globally, the company wants to change how we think about death – from how we deal with loss to the way we commemorate life – by giving people a meaningful and sustainable way to remember those who they love.

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Written By

Helena Young Deputy Editor

Helena is Deputy Editor at Startups. She oversees all news and supporting content on Startups, and is also the author of the weekly Startups email newsletter, delivering must-know SME updates straight to their inbox.

From interviewing Wetherspoon’s boss Tim Martin to spotting data-led working from home trends, her insight has been featured by major trade publications including the ICAEW, and news outlets like the BBC, ITV News, Daily Express, and HuffPost UK.

With a background in PR and marketing, Helena is particularly passionate about giving early-stage startups a platform to boost their brands. That’s one reason she manages the Startups 100 Index, our annual ranking of new UK businesses.

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