For the past 6 years, we’ve been building tech that is rooted in privacy, security and accessibility, paying close attention to specific user needs.
It all comes down to deep listening, collaboration and iteration. With careful attention to detail, we work together with clients to hone in on a shared vision and build tools that meet your specific needs.
As a fully remote and global team, we’re used to collaborating across time zones, languages and cultures, and can’t wait to see what we can create together with you.
As seen in
Mozilla’s Rise25
Our founder, Raphael, was given the Rise25 award from the Mozilla Foundation in 2023, which honors "25 visionaries reshaping our digital future".
World Justice Challenge
Our flagship tool, Tella, was the winner of the Accountable Governance category in 2021, for “its promise as a versatile, secure and customizable tool for documenting government abuses and holding governments accountable.”
We are well-versed in developing tech features for a wide range of activities, including:
creating and managing files securely
sharing data with peers and organizations, online and offline
documenting, mapping and sorting crowdsourced data across locations
educating users with limited tech literacy on phishing attacks
intentionally translating tools into multiple languages
learning about user needs through analytics that prioritize privacy and consent
We craft tools that help protect, connect and support communities globally.
Our work has supported:
Indigenous activists working for environmental justice in the Amazon rainforest
Volunteers of varying ages monitoring elections in Belarus and Nigeria
Journalists and researchers carrying sensitive data across checkpoints and borders
A trainer in East Africa who has trained over 1000 people, including refugees and queer groups, on how to avoid phishing attacks
What our clients say
“It was such a pleasure to work with the Horizontal team. They were incredibly thoughtful in their partnership with us, collaborative, transparent, values aligned, and good! We learned a lot in the process and have even implemented some of their processes for our own team moving forward.”
Ana, co-founder of Euki (May 2025)
“The Horizontal team came to support our organization and our project, WeChannel, in a very crucial and challenging time when we were struggling to deliver a workable solution to our users. Working with the Horizontal team was a delightful experience, both in terms of the collaborative process and the functional deliverables. Horizontal helped us provide effective, timely and impactful tools to users in need.”
Reza, Executive Director, United For Iran (May 2025)
Tella
An offline-first, privacy-preserving app on Android and iOS to encrypt, hide, and upload files
Advanced security and privacy safeguards, including encryption, camouflage, quick delete, etc
Offline-first for use in places with limited connectivity or in the midst of internet blackouts
Integration with a variety of services, including Google Drive, Dropbox, Nextcloud, and more
Winner of the 2021 World Justice Challenge in the Accountable Governance category
Tella Web
A server-side and web app to receive, organize, and safeguard reports sent by mobile users
Highly usable user experience to take advantage of all features without technical skills
Advanced authentication features to protect from unauthorized access
Accessible user interface to manage critical server tasks without system administration knowledge
Shira
A training app to teach users to identify and defeat phishing attacks.
Used by both end-users and security professionals to build anti-phishing skills
Works on desktop, tablets, and mobile
Easy to use for anyone, even with limited tech skills
Covid Diary
A simple, privacy-preserving Covid symptom tracker
Deployed within weeks of the start of the pandemic
Extremely accessible and easy to use
All data remains private on the user’s phone
