Tampa Bay startups sprung into action to provide tech-enabled resources as Hurricane Ian made landfall Wednesday.
From mapping capabilities to cloud usage, here are a few locals that are helping out.
Quiet Professionals
The Tampa-based government and defense contractor created an interactive dashboard that combines the latest information feeds focused on Hurricane Ian. The one-stop shop gives real-time updates of traffic incidents, street flooding and closures along with stormwater advisory areas.
This isn't the first time the company has stepped up during a crisis. In August 2021, the company launched a high-tech tracker to help refugees in Afghanistan.
"Leveraging operational knowledge from the company’s military (special operations forces) roots, we find some of our success by providing clarity during chaotic times through several unique product offerings," CEO Andy Wilson said in an email. "I feel fortunate that we are able to share some of this technology to support our local, state, and federal communities during catastrophic times like these.”
PayPixl
The Tampa-based startup, which was previously known as Raven Spatial, launched a public disaster map to support damage mapping. Users can request images of their properties and others can upload photos of their own potential damage to their homes. They partnered with India-based SkyFi, which will provide PayPixl satellite images of the hardest-hit areas.
The company was launched in 2018 and uses the gig economy to submit drone images of sites or buildings requested by users.
PayPixl CEO Bobby Quinn is asking the public for post-hurricane aerial or satellite imagery which will help serve as a baseline. To send photos, email Quinn at bobbyquinn@paypixl.io.
SOMA Global
The Tampa-based company has known the importance of connectivity to first responders since its launch in 2017. It further comes into play during a natural disaster like Hurricane Ian, which caused massive flooding and left several first responder call centers offline.
"In rural or smaller areas, things like flooding are real concerns," CEO Peter Quintas said. "If a call center floods and they can't take 911 calls, where do you go?"
SOMA Global modernizes the software used by first responders. The 911 dispatchers, with the help of SOMA, have their phones linked up to the cloud versus wireless, enabling better connections or re-routing possibilities.
"The availability of that in an emergency like this is obviously huge when every second counts," he said.
Quintas has seen an uptick in adoption since and plans to double year over year growth by the end of this year, working with 150 agencies across the nation. But he expects even more post-storm growth, once agencies see a further need.
"It's all possible," he said. "Now the adoption needs to follow."
