Manuel Seidel

Most workplace safety software is designed for the people managing compliance, not the people doing the work. While completing his PhD at the University of Auckland, Manuel Seidel became convinced that this was the wrong starting point. If reporting hazards and managing risk felt complicated, workers would avoid the system altogether. He set out to build technology that made doing the right thing the easiest option.

Founded in 2010, ecoPortal has grown from a research-driven idea into a global health, safety, environment and quality platform used by enterprise organisations across New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom and beyond. Manuel chose usability as the company’s point of difference, designing software that encourages participation from frontline workers as well as health and safety teams. That approach has seen ecoPortal recognised by independent research firm Verdantix for the strongest user experience in its category.

Protecting that vision meant making difficult choices. In 2018, Manuel and his partner, Helene, completed a buyout of the company’s co-founders and committed to funding it themselves over five years instead of pursuing external investment. ecoPortal now employs more than 150 people across 25 countries, supports around 120 enterprise customers and helps protect more than 320,000 workers worldwide.

The next stage of product development is focused on AI, multilingual capability and design choices that reduce friction for users in the field. For Manuel, that means keeping ecoPortal close to the everyday behaviours that determine whether safety systems are actually used.