It’s no secret that our surroundings have a huge impact on how we think, feel and act.
For our Founder, Nick, it took a period of burnout and depression followed by a life-changing camping trip in the wilds of New Zealand to truly open his eyes to the profound impact our surroundings can have.
“There was something about spending my days in incredible natural surroundings, and then drifting off and waking up in the midst of nature that not only gave me the best sleep of my life, but finally made me feel back to my best self.
It was on the long flight home, unable to sleep in the cramped seats that I wondered...…
Was it possible to take this experience back home with me?
What if we could bottle up the essence of these great surroundings and make them accessible from anywhere?”
The idea behind Portal was born.
“To improve the world’s surroundings”
Ever since Nick’s realisation of the power of surroundings, Portal has set out to make natural surroundings accessible through the most immersive and realistic experiences.
We believe these true-to-life experiences can enhance wellbeing, unlock human potential and build a more sustainable world through a deeper connection with our surroundings.
We dream of a happier and healthier world, with a closer relationship to nature and our surroundings.
Inspired and guided by nature.
Nature’s for exploring. We learn best through experience, so getting out there, seeing things for ourselves & speaking directly to customers seems a great place to start.
We believe independence helps us to take our own path. We’re excited to have found our own niche in surroundings, and hope it’s somewhere we can truly flourish.
We’re bootstrapped, so it’s easy to want more. But we’re better focusing on what we’ve got and uncover how we can leverage that best. We seek the multi-wins.
True craftmanship requires passion, attention to detail, and mastery – but it also takes time. Forgive us if things take a little longer, but we want them to be just right.
It’s a marathon not a sprint! Finding the right balance between short and long term is so important for us. We seek relationships that grow with us.
We believe the right thing is best in the long term, but it’s not always the easiest route to take. We’ll try to remember that.
Portal is a small, independent team of creators.
We’ve a shared passion for nature and the outdoors, and love creating “tech-for-good” that can truly help change people’s lives.
As a close-knit team of brothers and best friends, we’re proud of our family values, and work remotely from London, UK.
Big Bro Nick dreamt up Portal returning from an amazing honeymoon camping around New Zealand. Apparently being immersed in nature does wonders for your stress levels and sleep, and even inspires great ideas. Who knew?
Nick’s our Founder, and drives our product development and content strategy.
Little Bro Tim is another travel and outdoor enthusiast. Camping in Chile didn’t give him any world beating ideas, but it did provide the clarity of thought that Nick was well worth joining in his quest to bring Portal to life.
Tim’s our Co-Founder, and takes on the commercial and marketing side of the business.
Andy’s a true environmentalist and connoisseur of nature. When he’s not cycling or exploring the countryside with his family, he’s probably listening to a podcast or reading a book that’s connected to our natural world.
Andy heads up all our tech efforts, and despite loving nature, he doesn’t have much tolerance for bugs...
Stu’s an all round talented guy who we pinched from Sydney, but he’s no stranger to the team - as he was Nick’s Best Man! He loves people as much as the planet – he’s probably already helped you solve a problem or gratefully received your feedback.
Stu runs the ops side of things, and works in tandem with Tim on marketing & strategy.
Alex is a PhD fellow exploring how digital experiences of nature can impact wellbeing (see his Virtual Nature research, funded by the Wellcome Trust). Based down in Cornwall, UK, he’s a surfer and outdoor enthusiast, and passionate about his work directly feeding into evidence-based therapeutic interventions.
Alex’s expert knowledge in the field of Environmental Psychology (and far beyond) helps shape our approach and keeps us aligned with the very latest scientific developments.
That’s right – you’re part of our team too.
It’s your amazing feedback that keeps us going, hearing how we’re helping you.
It’s your kindness in paying for Portal that enables us to invest in more content, bring Portal to more devices and constantly improve the product.
It’s you that guides us. We don’t have any analytics or collect any data. You really are our shining light.
atmoky are one of the world's leading Spatial Audio software providers.
We’re partnered with atmoky to implement dynamically rendered Spatial Audio - the same format that's often used for VR.
Nanoleaf are true innovators in smart lighting, with tech that is intuitively designed, people focused and looks fabulous.
We regularly collaborate to introduce our respective customers to each other’s perfectly aligned products.
Medical Protection Society (MPS) is the world’s leading member owner not-for-profit organisation for doctors, dentists and healthcare workers.
We harness the knowledge & expertise of MPS to help Portal best support the wellbeing of medical & dental professionals.
Apple’s App Store is home to the world’s most life changing, innovative and amazing app experiences.
Since before Portal launched, we’ve worked with Apple’s global experts to improve our UX and design, and support their editorial teams in bringing Portal to new customers.
National Trust & National Trust for Scotland preserve & manage some of the most beautiful natural surroundings and heritage in the UK.
We work closely to uncover amazing sites for Portal to capture, and share with the world.
Signify, (owners of Philips Hue) are world leaders in lighting, with a huge diversity of indoor and outdoor smart lighting products.
As one of their “Apps We Like’, Signify introduce Portal to their customers, helping them receive more value from their smart lighting.
We’d love to hear from you. For all enquiries, email us at hello@portal.app
For our latest news, product updates and announcements, find us on social media or join our email list
Portal brings nature into your surroundings through cinematic visuals, 3D audio and smart light integration.
Explore The ExperienceUltra high def visuals, Dynamic Spatial Audio, smart light integration, award winning design and a strong stance on privacy.
Discover Our DifferenceWe believe nature is at the heart of our health and happiness, supporting mental wellbeing, productivity and sleep.
Environmental Wellbeing