About Candela
The stories and memories of the people we love shouldn't fade with time. But they do. Tucked into drawers, lost in old phones, scattered across conversations that no one wrote down. We built Candela so those memories have a place to live, and so the people who matter most are never forgotten.
From Photographs to Memorials
Candela was founded by Nicky Lakios, a technologist with deep roots in photography innovation. Over the past decade, Nicky has built tools at the intersection of imaging science and human storytelling: from AI-powered photo dating that places undated family snapshots in their correct decade, to perceptual hashing systems that identify duplicate and near-duplicate images across massive family archives.
That work in digital preservation led to a realization: the same technology that helps families organize and understand their photo history could help them honor and remember the people in those photos. The science of structuring family history (dating images, identifying locations, recognizing faces across generations) is the foundation that Candela is built on.
Nicky's family traces its roots to Ikaria, Greece, one of the world's Blue Zones, where people live longer than almost anywhere on earth. On Ikaria, community isn't a concept. It's a daily practice. Neighbors gather. Stories are told and retold. Those who have passed are remembered not in isolation but together, as part of the fabric of ongoing life. That spirit of lasting connection, of honoring the past while nurturing the present, is what Candela brings to every memorial.
Built on Long Island, New York, Candela exists because the beauty in a life shouldn't end when the service does.
Paper Programs End Up in a Drawer
Funeral homes invest in beautiful services, but the keepsake families leave with hasn't changed in a century. Laminated prayer cards end up in suit jackets. Online memorial sites go dark after 30 days. Candela changes that. Candela is a digital memorial that lives on, in every attendee's Wallet and on its own plot of the internet, for as long as family wants to gather there.
Designed with Care
Every screen in Candela is designed with grief sensitivity in mind. Error messages reassure instead of alarm. Empty states invite rather than intimidate. Prayers drawn from multiple faith traditions are curated for accuracy and reverence. Memorial pages are private by default, and families control who sees what.
Schedule a Walkthrough
Pick a time for a walkthrough. We'll show you the full platform and answer any questions. No commitment.