Penzu is an online diary and personal journal that is focused on privacy. With a unique and compelling user experience, it makes writing online as easy and intuitive as writing on a pad of paper.
Why isn't there an easy and secure way to record your thoughts online? All of the current online solutions are either clunky, bloated, or not geared for private writing. Why would you want to keep a private journal on a blogging service that's intended for public use? The alternatives to keeping private information on a desktop computer or in a notepad while effective, aren't entirely safe either.
Penzu offers a secure place to store your thoughts and ideas in the cloud. Not only are entries password protected in an online account, but individual entries can be locked with military-grade encryption.
With our powerful security also comes extreme ease of use. The core component of the interface is the Pad - a metaphor for a pad of paper. This universal design element has allowed Penzu to transcend language and cultural barriers as people from 170 countries continue to use our service. We have always made the user experience a top priority and it is one of our main differentiations from complicated and confusing competitors.
The name, Penzu, comes from many influences, but mainly it is a derivative of the Latin "pensare" which means to think or be full of thought.
Alexander Mimran
President & Founder
Toronto, Canada
Alexander started Penzu as a side project. After launching in late May of 2008, Penzu was an instant hit and since has attained thousands of passionate users worldwide. With the release of Penzu 2 sixteen months later, Penzu is now his full-time job.
Alexander has a strong product development and marketing background, and is the driving force behind Penzu. He previously worked as a freelance graphic designer and branding consultant, helping startups and various brands elevate their products to the next level. His vision is to revive journaling as an online phenomenon and give people a safe-haven where they can express themselves, free from the judgement and criticism of the world, in a safe and secure place.
Michael Lawlor
Co-founder & Lead Developer
Berlin, Germany
Mike has been with Penzu since day one, and is a master of all things web. With a background in Artificial Intelligence, Mike has experience in diverse areas of the web: from domain registration, web hosting, e-commerce, and online job banks, to mobile social networks, user-driven content, rich media collaboration tools, and the latest in cloud computing.
What started as a side project for him to both showcase his skills and take them to new levels, has blossomed into a worldwide hit. Penzu's distinct harmony between an attractive, intuitive user experience and solid back-end architecture is a testament to Mike's prowess.
Simon Wilkinson
Developer
Perth, Canada
Simon's broad base of experience in providing customer-centeric solutions and his desire to provide leading edge products are valuable additions to the Penzu team.
He has a background in Computer Science, having received both his Bachelors and Masters degrees from Carleton University in Ottawa. His research work at Carleton involved the use of swarm intelligence to secure communications within anonymous overlay networks. He has had experience building everyting from service quality assurance solutions for operators and customers of wireless broadband network to enterprise systems management automation.
Alex Shipillo
Resident Intern
Vancouver, Canada
Alex started working with Penzu on various projects in the summer of 2009. He loves the simplicity and ease of use of the online journal and tries to introduce as many people as possible to the awesomeness of the product.
Alex is a young entrepreneur who is passionate about developing projects that support youth engagement. In 2009, he was recognized as one of Canada's Top 20 Under 20 by Youth in Motion.
We really love what we do.
For us, building Penzu isn't work, it's our passion. We strive to create the highest quality online experience by combining intriguing interactions and rock-solid functionality.
Download our Media Kit: Media-Kit.zip