The Golden Isles Welcomes Tech Startup Portum. Portum is empowering health safety in our communities through technology.

By: Vanessa Wagner, Director of Business Development & Strategic Programs

Over the past year, technology has played a significant role in keeping communities, and businesses, running. Main street shops moved to e-commerce platforms while family-run medical practices launched telemedicine options; from the smallest to largest employers, technology helped keep the lights on for many businesses. As communities across the country limit gathering restrictions, many companies are now evaluating what the “next normal” looks like for their customers and business. In the Golden Isles, technology startup, Portum, believes the next normal empowers individuals to support health safety in their communities.

Portum is a technology service for anonymous exposure notification and a digital health security platform for consumers, businesses, and government agencies.

Anonymity and consumer privacy are core to its mission.

Portum never actually knows who you are or where you’ve been. They cross-check encrypted proximity data from your smartphone to inform you if you’ve been at risk. The identity of anyone who may be infected is also completely private.

“I know how much I value my personal privacy, so I’ve made sure that Portum is honestly working hard to maintain it for our users at all costs,” says Michael Goldman, CEO of Portum.

Portum launched its technology in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and is the only independent exposure notification platform available in the App Store and Google Play.

Its leadership views Portum/InVitam as paving the way for the next normal, where health information is shared privately, anonymously, and immediately. It aims to make the use of technology to protect people’s health a new social norm, similar to covering your mouth before you cough.

In the past year, the Golden Isles Development Authority (GIDA) worked closely with the Board of Commissioners and staff of Glynn County to get Portum launched into The App Store. During the pandemic, Apple increased its evaluation methods to ensure the credibility of data. GIDA and the Board of Commissioners worked together to demonstrate their support for Portum and its mission of helping create safer communities. In April of 2021, the Board of Commissioners adopted a resolution naming Portum the official COVID-19 symptoms, test, and vaccine analytics app of Glynn County, Georgia. This support resulted in Portum’s launch into the App Store.

This support resulted in Portum announcing that it would be locating a division of its business to the Golden Isles. GIDA worked with Portum’s leadership on identifying an office solution and other support for their success in our community.

“We were attracted to the Isles by the beauty, the business climate, and the government leaders who were community-minded enough to engage with an innovative new kind of health protection.  Portum will thrive in communities that want to work together to keep us all safer.  We’re moving our headquarters to Glynn, and will soon be setting up a call and support center. South Georgia has the caliber of employee we want to hire.  We have big plans for Glynn county, ” says Michael Goldman, Portum/InVitam CEO when asked about his decision to open in Glynn County. 

GIDA believes that technology-based solutions, such as the one presented by Portum, can play a significant role in the growth of our region.

“Helping companies like Portum locate to the Golden Isles, and identify resources and customers, can lead to a more resilient economy and new job creation,” says Ryan Moore, President, and CEO of GIDA.

The Golden Isles Community is committed to fostering a culture of entrepreneurship that values businesses that use creativity and innovation to solve customers’ problems, and ultimately, grow its business through these solutions.

If you would like to discuss how we can help your business innovate and grow, contact us today.