Apaluma Secures $5.55 Million to Digitize Fragmented Regulatory Data

Government agencies currently struggle with vital information trapped in scanned ledgers, incompatible databases, and PDF files. Apaluma aims to bridge this gap by mapping regulatory records to specific locations, allowing analysts and scientists to access comprehensive data histories in hours rather than weeks. By using a data ontology approach rather than simple keyword searches, the platform links permits, violations, and filings into a coherent regulatory life cycle.

Apaluma founder and CEO Alicia J. Keyes, who previously managed economic development for the state of New Mexico, built the platform to integrate legacy systems without requiring a full technological overhaul. The company successfully piloted this approach by digitizing the entire historical archive of the New Mexico Environment Department. Gabby Contro of Crosslink Capital noted that Keyes’ firsthand experience in state government was a primary factor in the firm's decision to back the project. The funding round also included participation from Haven Ventures, Overwater Ventures, Orange DAO, and the NM Vintage Fund.