About Tolemi

We're on a mission to help local governments make smarter, data-driven decisions.

The whole Tolemi team gathered on a boat deck with the Boston skyline behind them

The Tolemi team on Boston Harbor

Hand-colored engraving of Ptolemy, a bearded man in a red cap and robes holding a measuring instrument and pointing toward the stars

Ptolemy, our namesake

Image: André Thevet, 1584, public domain

Tolemi (tol-uh-mee) is named after Ptolemy, the Greek polymath and father of modern cartography who layered mathematic, geometric, and astronomical principles to map the world. Our platform brings together siloed data to help governments better understand and serve their communities.

Our Story

In the wake of the 2008 foreclosure crisis, every local government faced an urgent priority to stabilize housing and neighborhoods. They all lacked the tools and capacity to grasp the information they desperately needed to take action and do more with less. Motivated by a deep love for cities and drawn by the call to help the public sector work with data, Tolemi emerged from our co-founders’ public policy studies, public engagement prototypes, and experiments using government data to solve critical urban challenges. They built a simple, user-friendly data analytics tool to help government teams trace neighborhood trends, deploy resources, and get ahead of future problems. They later expanded the platform to include workflow automation and public engagement solutions.

White Victorian farmhouse at the Lawrence Homestead in Mesquite, Texas, under a blue sky

Mesquite, TX

Photo: Carol M. Highsmith, public domain
The domed Rhode Island State House behind a row of trees

Rhode Island

Photo: Farragutful, CC0
The glass rotunda and tower of San José City Hall

San José, CA

Photo: Daderot, CC0

Tolemi has deployed solutions to local partners as diverse as Mesquite, TX; the State of Rhode Island, and San José, CA; and across every region in the US. The Boston-based company works to ensure every government has access to the critical data management and user-friendly analysis tools they need. Tolemi believes enabling governments to be more fact-based and data-driven leads to even smarter, more effective, and more efficient governance. We are inspired by our relentless optimism about government as well as the dedication and commitment of our public servants.

How We Work

We do much more than just provide tools. We bring the know-how, the expertise, and the support to run the whole program.

  1. 1

    Understand

    We start with your needs and requirements: your ordinance, your goals, your constraints. Then we provide feedback.

  2. 2

    Connect your data

    We integrate with your data, enhance it with externally sourced datasets, and connect the dots.

  3. 3

    Stand up the program

    We set up your internal and external workflows and the citizen-facing portal: registration, outreach, and payment collection.

  4. 4

    Train and launch

    We educate your staff and hold your hand during launch.

  5. 5

    Measure and improve

    Backend analytics track and improve program efficacy, so every cycle gets better.

  6. 6

    Support, always

    We continually support and adjust the program as it evolves, with a help desk for your staff.

We hold your hand throughout the whole program lifecycle.

Ready to Transform Your City's Data?

Join the growing number of cities using Tolemi to make smarter decisions.

Get a Demo