Singapore-based legacy planning platform Teleskop will cease operations on July 31, 2025, after 18 months of activity.

The app aimed to simplify legacy planning by providing an overview of users’ assets.

The shutdown follows the introduction of the Singaporean government’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for legacy planning, called My Legacy.

This platform includes features such as a document vault, a non-financial asset registry, and the ability to share information with trusted individuals.

Users will have access to the app until the end of July 2025.  All data will be permanently deleted from Teleskop’s servers on August 1, 2025.

The company will also refund users with active subscriptions.

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🔗 Source: Chandrima Das

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ Digital public infrastructure is reshaping private sector opportunities

Teleskop’s shutdown demonstrates a growing trend where government-led digital public infrastructure (DPI) initiatives are fundamentally altering the competitive landscape for startups in essential services.

This trend is visible globally, with significant examples like India’s digital transformation that processed eight billion transactions worth nearly $200 billion in January 2023 alone, shifting 85% of the economy to digital payments 1.

The 50-in-5 initiative aims to strengthen DPI across multiple countries by 2028, focusing on digital identity and payment systems, indicating this trend will accelerate 2.

For startups, government DPI can create both challenges and opportunities. While Teleskop found its market position undermined, others like The Postage have secured partnerships with community banks, expanding their services within the evolving financial sector 3.

Singapore’s approach with MyLegacy reflects a growing recognition that certain essential services may be most effectively delivered through national infrastructure, providing broader accessibility than private alternatives alone can achieve.

2️⃣ Legacy planning’s evolution from legal documents to digital platforms

The estate planning industry has undergone a transformation from its origins in simple wills to today’s digital-first solutions like Teleskop and MyLegacy.

Historically, estate planning was dominated by legal frameworks involving trusts and powers of attorney, with the introduction of the “living trust” in the 20th century representing a significant innovation that allowed individuals to avoid probate 4.

The digital transformation of this traditionally paper-heavy field is exemplified by startups like The Postage, which combines legal will creation with services for sending video and audio messages posthumously while achieving legal validity in 49 states within just two years of launch 3.

Singapore’s MyLegacy platform, with its document vault, non-financial asset registry, and sharing functionality, demonstrates how governments are now recognizing the importance of modernizing legacy planning tools as critical digital infrastructure.

This shift toward digital solutions addresses longstanding challenges in estate planning, such as document storage, accessibility, and the organization of complex assets that previously created significant burdens for families during difficult times.

3️⃣ The strategic withdrawal: when startups pivot in response to government initiatives

Teleskop’s decision to shut down rather than compete with Singapore’s MyLegacy platform represents a strategic response when government initiatives overlap with private sector solutions.

The founder’s recognition that “the best home for such tools is integrated into Singapore’s national digital infrastructure” reflects a pragmatic assessment of where certain services can have the greatest impact and sustainability 5.

This strategic withdrawal aligns with broader patterns of how businesses navigate changing government roles in digital services, with research showing that effective public-private ecosystems often develop when each sector focuses on its comparative advantages 6.

Legacy planning tools particularly benefit from government integration because they require connections to multiple regulated systems like banking, property records, and legal frameworks – infrastructure that governments can uniquely coordinate.

For founders and investors, Teleskop’s experience highlights the importance of monitoring government digitalization roadmaps when building startups in areas adjacent to public services, as these initiatives can rapidly transform market opportunities.

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