Portal is a Finalist for Mac App of the Year!

Wow! We’re beyond thrilled to share that Portal is a finalist for Mac App of the Year, at Apple’s App Store Awards 2023! We’re so excited, we’re not too sure what to say! 

In truth, that’s always been half our challenge. Ever since the first spark of inspiration for Portal, when Nick wanted to bottle up “that feeling” of being immersed in the beautiful surroundings of New Zealand, we’ve really struggled to describe Portal in words. 

What we’ve always believed in is the power of experience. From the moment you open Portal, to the visual and audio quality, and the use cases it supports, we aim for it to feel like you’re stepping into the magical world of nature and gaining full control over your surroundings. 

Why? Because it’s our surroundings, we’ve learnt, that have an undeniable influence over the way we think, feel and act. The science increasingly guides us towards the types of environment that are most likely to support our daily needs of focus, relaxation and sleep, but it also points us towards spaces that might inspire or unlock our imagination. 

We can’t wait to fully celebrate this amazing nomination (we just need Stu to come back from honeymoon!) but it’s only been made possible by the support we’ve had from our customers, so thank you. As a small independent team, we really don't take anyone's investment in us for granted, and it’s you guys who have really made this happen. 

Similarly, a big shout out to the App Store teams. Without them surfacing Portal to thousands of people each day and helping us tell our story, we wouldn’t be able to focus our attention so ruthlessly on the app experience, and capturing more incredible surroundings from around the world. 

We hope this nomination helps Portal to open more people’s eyes (and ears!) into the incredible power of their surroundings. 

It’s definitely a feeling that can’t easily be described!