Whirlscape promises to go "beyond smartwatches"

Canadian company Whirlscape is a startup based in Toronto with a small 10-employee team but it already managed to gain some fame thanks to the Minuum virtual software app. This piece of code allows fast typing and works with a rich set of devices, from Android smartphones and phablets to smartwatches and even wearables with no display at all.

Back in 2013 Minuum had its successful debut on Indiegogo and raised almost $90,000 in a crowdfunding campaign with a goal of only $10,000. Now, increasing interest in more efficient input methods for mobile devices helped Whirlscape secure no less than $500,000 in seed funding. The company revealed this together with some of the names involved, including  FundersClub, Y Combinator or BDC Venture Capital.

"I can’t get much more specific, but definitely there are a couple of smartwatches that we’re working with, and a couple of devices beyond smartwatches, too." said Whirlscape co-founder and CEO Will Walmsley in a recent interview.

The company will also focus on increasing its Android user base, expanding the existing team and improving Minuum, currently available in Google Play Store as a paid application. In the long run, it would not be a surprise to see Google acquire Whirlscape and Minuum integrated into Android, but this is only one of the many paths that this startup may follow.