Innovation awards finalist: RecaptureOne’s memory capsules help celebrate life

“Grief may fade in time, but memories of our loved one never should,” says Alannah Pardy, founder, of multimedia company RecaptureOne, which specialises in creating bereavement video and photo memorials with music and sound.

Most memorial items, such as candles and cards, are static, and Pardy felt that remembering loved ones (including beloved family pets) could be made more personal by creating video/photo memory capsules that families could view in their own time. Relatives send Pardy their photos and clips, she puts them together with appropriate background music and assigns each capsule a personal QR code which families use to view the material on their mobile devices.

“The death sector is lagging behind in adopting technology and this is the first time that combining technology and multimedia in this way for this purpose has been done. I feel it’s a much more immediate way of keeping people’s memory of their deceased relative alive,” Pardy says.

There are two aspects to the business, the video/photo capsules and hardware in the form of plaques which can be attached to a graveside, a memorial site or framed for home use. Plaques include the QR code meaning users can access the memories when visiting the grave or memorial site.

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“People already share their memories widely on social media so what we’re doing will feel familiar,” Pardy says. “RecaptureOne is not about remembering someone’s death. It’s about celebrating their life.”

RecaptureOne is an Irish Times Innovation awards finalist in the New Frontiers category sponsored by UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School