Our Story

Let me tell you how we got here.

When I lost my dad at 17, my world was obliterated. Even though I had time to prepare, I still wasn't ready. I don't think anyone ever is. There were so many conversations we never had, and questions I never got to ask as I grew from a boy into a man during some of the most important years of my life.

Over time, I began to understand how incredibly complex my journey with grief is. So many people struggle with it their entire lives and even with professional support, there are no quick fixes or clear answers - just your experience and what you're going through.

In early 2025, I watched a fictional storyline in a TV show about a woman creating an AI simulation of her lost husband. That's when it hit me. This wasn't science fiction anymore – it was possible. And it was dangerous.

People could form ongoing relationships with simulations. Avoid reality. Stay attached. Never fully process their grief.

That's when it clicked. What if the technology could be used differently? Not as a replacement, but as a tool. Something closer to the empty chair technique – that actually supported healing.

Before building anything, I tested it myself by creating a simple AI conversation with my dad. It's difficult to fully describe what that felt like. It wasn't about believing he was there, but about finally expressing things I had carried for years — things I never had the chance to say. It was emotional, uncomfortable at times, but also deeply relieving. Alongside this, I spoke with a therapist to explore the idea more carefully and understand the potential impact, both positive and negative.

That moment made one thing clear. This could be powerful — if it was done the right way.

So I decided to build Finalnote.

A deeply immersive messaging experience, designed to feel real enough to create genuine emotional impact – but always grounded in transparency. A tool with a clear purpose to support emotional release, self-reflection and healing.

Finalnote is a structured, time-limited three-step therapeutic experience with the goal of supporting healing with real intention. It's not here to replace your loved one, it's here to help you say what you never got to say.

When I started this project, very few tools existed in this space. The ones that did, either felt lacking in support and structure to guide people through a therapeutic process, or were designed in ways that had huge ethical question marks – created to keep people coming back, building dependancy rather than supporting healing.

Over time, more have appeared. Most seem to be following the same path.

After realising that we're entering a world where this kind of technology will start to become normal, I strongly believe that tools like Finalnote matter more than ever.

Finalnote exists to take a different path.

Built with intention.Built with boundaries.Built for healing.