Nian
念
Because the details blur first.
The accent. The way they moved. The things only they would say.
What you capture today will speak to your family in ways technology hasn't invented yet.
I was at sea when she died.
Kam To · Navy veteran · Father of Lukas
She lived to 104.
I was on the ship when she passed.
I never got to say goodbye.
I got lucky — I had those three years with her.
An unbreakable bond.
The details are starting to blur.
That terrifies me more than the grief ever did.
I built Nian for my son Lukas.
And for anyone who refuses to let the most important person in their life become just a memory.
I was on the ship when she passed.
I never got to say goodbye.
I got lucky — I had those three years with her.
An unbreakable bond.
The details are starting to blur.
That terrifies me more than the grief ever did.
I built Nian for my son Lukas.
And for anyone who refuses to let the most important person in their life become just a memory.
Founding circle — veterans, military families & those who serve
Veterans
Thirty years of service. Operations nobody asked about. A code of conduct that was never written down. The humor that only makes sense if you were there. Nian captures what the debrief never could.
Military Families
You held everything together while they were gone. You have a story too — and so do they. The one they've never told anyone. The things they carried home that never got spoken. Nian creates space for both.
Fraternal Brothers & Sisters
The craft preserves wisdom across generations. But wisdom dies when the member who carries it can no longer speak. Nian ensures the lessons, the stories, and the voice of every person outlive the individual.
Legacy Builders
You're not dying. You're choosing. Healthy, clear, and present — you've decided that the people you love will know exactly who you were. Not just what you did. Who you were. While you're still here to tell them.
The Closing Chapter
Some people come to Nian with a diagnosis. A timeline. A clarity that most people never find. If that's you — this is the most important thing you will ever do for the people you're leaving behind. Not because you have to. Because you get to. Nian holds the space. You bring the voice. There is no better time than now.
Your vault is stored on Proton Drive — the same encrypted infrastructure trusted by journalists, attorneys, and human rights workers worldwide. Zero-knowledge architecture means the encryption happens on your device before anything leaves it. Not even Proton can read your files. Neither can we.
Access credentials sit with your estate attorney — not with Nian. That's your real protection.
念念不忘
What is remembered, lives.
How It Works
Two people. One story.
Preserved before the details blur.
Nian works two ways — for the person who wants their story to outlive them, and for the son, daughter, or grandchild who refuses to let it fade.
For You
"I want the people I love to know who I really was."
Not your rank. Not your resume. The stories the after-action report never captured. The humor. The hard lessons. The code you lived by that nobody ever asked you to explain. Nian captures all of it — in your voice, on your terms, sealed until you decide it's time.
For Someone You Love
"I need to capture them before their voice is gone."
You already know it's starting to blur. The specific way they tell a story. The things they only say on certain evenings. The version of them that exists when they think nobody is watching. Nian gives you a way to sit across from the person who matters most and finally ask the questions that need asking. While there's still time.
The Questionnaire
Fifty questions across five domains — identity, relationships, stories, wisdom, and the private things. Done at your own pace, alone or together. Every question has a skip option. Nothing is compulsory.
This is pre-production. By the time the camera turns on, the thinking is already done.
The Foundation Session
A guided capture session — your voice, your stories, your personality, and the things that live between the lines of your official record. At home or in a neutral studio. Facilitated by someone trained to hold space so you can speak without performance.
This is where the $299 lives. Not in the technology. In this hour.
The Vault — Yours. Always.
Everything captured is stored in an encrypted vault you own entirely. Two tiers: a Family Vault for shared memories — and a Private Vault for sealed messages released at the moment you choose. After you're gone, at a milestone you designate, or as a message from your younger self to your future self. Even we cannot read it.
Your terms. Your timing. Your people.
Return Anytime
Life surfaces things the first session couldn't. A memory that came back at 3am. Something they weren't ready to say yet. The vault stays open for as long as the story keeps coming.
No deadline. No pressure. No expiry. This is their pace.
Questions
What you need to know.
Trust is not a feature. Trust is the product. Every answer here reflects how Nian was built — from the infrastructure up.
Safety
Who controls my vault?
You do. Entirely. Your recordings are stored on Proton Drive — independently audited, zero-knowledge encrypted infrastructure. Zero-knowledge means your files are encrypted on your device before they are uploaded. Proton's servers never receive your encryption keys. Neither does Nian. More importantly: your vault access credentials are held in escrow by your designated estate planning attorney — not by Nian. This means even if Nian ceased to exist tomorrow, your attorney controls access. Your vault cannot be held hostage by our operational status. That's structural protection — not a policy promise.
What happens to my vault if Nian shuts down?
Your data transfers to your designated executor within 90 days. You own it completely — it was never ours to begin with. Company dissolution cannot affect your ownership of your own recordings.
Can my family access my vault without my permission?
No. The Family Vault is only accessible after the release trigger you designate — which can be your death, a future milestone, or a date you set. The Private Vault is accessible only to the one specific recipient you name — not your executor, not your family. Only that person, at the moment you chose.
Can I delete everything?
Yes, at any time. Permanent deletion is completed within 30 days. We retain no backup copies after that period. Deletion confirmation is provided in writing.
Are Nian's legal documents finalized?
Not yet. And we want you to know that directly.
Nian's client agreements — including the Consent and Data Ownership Agreement, Death Trigger Authorization, and Private Vault Sealed Message Agreement — are currently under review with licensed California estate planning counsel. We are not cutting corners to move faster. We are moving carefully because the people who trust us with their most important recordings deserve nothing less.
We are in founding member phase precisely because this work takes time to do right. Every founding member who reserves their place today is helping us build something that will outlast all of us — including Nian itself. That's not a marketing line. That's why we're still building.
When the legal review is complete, every founding member will receive the finalized documents before their session begins. No surprises. No buried clauses. Just clear language reviewed by attorneys who understand both estate planning and what Nian is trying to do.
If you have questions before then — email us directly. We answer every one.
Nian's client agreements — including the Consent and Data Ownership Agreement, Death Trigger Authorization, and Private Vault Sealed Message Agreement — are currently under review with licensed California estate planning counsel. We are not cutting corners to move faster. We are moving carefully because the people who trust us with their most important recordings deserve nothing less.
We are in founding member phase precisely because this work takes time to do right. Every founding member who reserves their place today is helping us build something that will outlast all of us — including Nian itself. That's not a marketing line. That's why we're still building.
When the legal review is complete, every founding member will receive the finalized documents before their session begins. No surprises. No buried clauses. Just clear language reviewed by attorneys who understand both estate planning and what Nian is trying to do.
If you have questions before then — email us directly. We answer every one.
Privacy
Can Nian read or listen to my recordings?
No. Your recordings are stored on Proton Drive using zero-knowledge encryption — meaning your files are encrypted on your own device before they ever leave it. Proton's infrastructure is independently audited and cannot be overridden by Nian. We have no technical pathway to your recordings. This is not a privacy policy. It is an architectural fact.
Will my data ever be sold or shared?
Never. Nian will never sell, share, license, transfer, or disclose your data to any third party under any circumstances — including affiliates, platform partners, or government entities except where compelled by a lawfully issued court order.
Will Nian use my recordings to train AI?
Only with your explicit written consent — and only to build your personal AI personality for your own family, not for any platform-wide purpose. This is an optional future feature. If you do not opt in, your recordings are never touched. Non-consenting vaults will never be accessed for AI purposes.
Where is my data stored?
On Proton Drive — independently audited zero-knowledge encrypted cloud storage. Proton operates under Swiss jurisdiction, meaning their infrastructure carries Swiss-level privacy protections. We chose Proton specifically because their architecture makes it technically impossible for anyone — including Proton, including Nian — to access your vault contents without your encryption keys. Your access credentials are held separately in escrow with your designated estate attorney. Two independent layers of protection. Neither can act without the other.
Identity Protection
How does vault release get triggered?
Nian supports three release scenarios — each designated by you at the time of recording. Scenario 1: After verified death — your executor submits an official death certificate or equivalent documentation. Scenario 2: A milestone you designate — a child turning 18, a wedding, a date you name. Scenario 3: Time capsule — a message from you to your future self, opened on a date you choose. You control which scenario applies to each sealed message.
What stops someone from impersonating my executor?
Vault access credentials are only released after verification of official documentation. Credentials go directly to the executor you designated at the time of recording — not to anyone who claims the role afterward.
What is the Private Vault and who can access it?
The Private Vault contains sealed messages for one specific person only. Your executor cannot open it. Your family cannot open it. Only the person you named receives access — at the moment you chose. Delivered via a unique one-time link, valid for 30 days after the trigger condition is met.
Who owns my story?
You do. Irrevocably. Nian claims no ownership, licensing rights, or intellectual property interest in any vault content at any time. Your ownership does not change based on subscription status, account activity, or company operational status.
Why Nian
What does "Nian" mean?
念 (Niàn) means remembrance. Longing. Thinking of someone who is no longer there. 念念 is what happens when you can't stop. It is not a product name. It is a feeling — the one that arrives when you realize the details are starting to blur and you cannot get them back.
Is Nian only for people who are dying?
No. Nian is a living legacy platform — not an end-of-life product. The people who use Nian are healthy, clear, fully present, and ready to be remembered correctly. The best time to capture a life is while the person is still in the middle of living it. Waiting is the mistake.
Who is Nian for?
For the veteran with thirty years of service and stories nobody has ever properly asked about. For the military family carrying things that were never spoken. For the fraternal brother or sister whose wisdom should outlive them. For the parent, grandparent, or person who has decided to be remembered correctly — while they're still here. And for the son or daughter who already knows the details are starting to blur and refuses to let it happen.
What makes Nian different from a home recording?
Anyone can press record. What Nian provides is the structure, the questions, the trained facilitation, and the secure infrastructure that transforms a conversation into a permanent, encrypted legacy. The Private Vault holds what a home recording never could — the things someone could only say to one person, released at exactly the moment they choose: after they are gone, at a milestone they designate, or as a message from a younger self to an older one.
"Even we can't read your private vault." This is not a privacy policy promise. It is a technical guarantee — enforced at the infrastructure level, not the legal one.