UK-based SigmaOS has attracted $4 million of seed funds to progress its MacOS web browser project, which snoozes session tabs into a single browser shortcut with turbocharged productivity pipelines, aiming to ease the strain of power user multi-tasking.
Snoozed tabs are presented from the SigmaOS dashboard interface as vertical to-do lists, each representing a workspace that can be arranged to store web sessions for in-depth project management, for example, or staying on top of academic studies.
"We want to be a generation-defining browser", states the summary of SigmaOS's ambition, and most power users know the pain at sometime or another: as the startup puts it, it's those days you're left with "57 tabs" at Safari's browsing deck, and little clue as to what's meant to be on each.
SigmaOS is spearheaded by a 29-year old entrepreneur, Mahyad Ghassemibouyaghchi. Another big feature is the co-operative multi-tasking, meaning you can browse along with colleagues or friends ahead of big deadlines, or big occasions.
Pre-launch, SigmaOS benefited from accelerator tuition from Y Combinator which is also joining this $4 million seed raise, alongside the lead investor LocalGlobe.
The round also includes 7percent Ventures, Moonfire Ventures, Shine VC, TrueSight Ventures, Pioneer Fund and Venture Together, as well as angels like Carmen Alfonso Rico and Matteo Franceschetti (founder, sleep tech startup Eightsleep.)
A software engineering alum from King's College London, Mahyad came to the UK from Iran six years ago. He says he got here with "a couple of thousand pounds" to prove his talent, start a business and "take on the world."
On the web browser Mahyad is garnering feedback from a key influencer, in the form of Youtube productivity guru Ali Abdaal, whose channel "explore the strategies and tools that help us live happier, healthier, and more productively." Abdaal calls SigmaOS "the best browser" he's ever used.
With the seed funding, SigmaOS was able to bring on another two software experts - now it has five altogether - and has got scope to spare for further product tweaks (the browser is at version 1.0 just now,) and go-to-market efforts.
The company claims to be revenue generating, with 30% of users subscribing to its 10 dollars a month package, and recently seeing acclaim from US tech review site Product Hunt, which previously crowned SigmaOS its product of the moment. For 15 dollars US, customers can buy an enterprise licence for their teams with "unlimited" tab-storage workspaces.
Responding to the seed announcement, LocalGlobe partner Ziv Reichert said: "Truth is that ‘modern’ web browsers have not evolved an awful lot over the last two decades.
"Innovation has remained mostly incremental, with browsers opting to jam-pack features on top of legacy UIs vs outright rethinking the fundamentals.
"Meanwhile, internet penetration has continued to skyrocket in conjunction with average time spent online. 4bn+ people now spend the bulk of their waking hours inside of browsers - working, socialising, creating and consuming content."
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