A Taobao shop that uses AI to 'bring back' deceased relatives earned over ¥500,000 in a year.
The idea: AI digital memorials of deceased loved ones
Chinese outlet Tide News profiled Wang Tao, a former architectural designer whose Taobao store started with photo restoration and moved into AI 'resurrections' families can interact with. The article says the store earned over ¥500,000 in its first year. MIT Technology Review has covered the wider Chinese 'grief tech' boom.
Startup cost (est.)$100–$500
DifficultyMedium
Time to first dollar (est.)2–4 weeks
No-code friendlyPartly
The receipts
Wang Tao's Taobao store: Store income 'exceeded ¥500,000' in its first year of business (收入超过了50万).
Source: Tide News (潮新闻) · checked 2026-10-15
Payment-verified figures come from TrustMRR, which reads revenue from the business's payment provider. Founder and press figures are claims we found on the linked page and haven't audited. How we check.
Who pays
Grieving families.
How it makes money
Per-project pricing.
How to start your own
- Start with gentle products: animated photos and voice-message keepsakes.
- Work with funeral homes and grief counselors.
- Get explicit consent from families.
The catch
Ethically sensitive. Grief is raw, so be gentle, honest and consent-driven.