It was around about this time of the year when we first sat down with Tor Rauden Källstigen of Loopcam 12 months ago and listened as he eulogized about the modern use of a technology from the 1980s, aka gifs. A lot has changed since then – Loopcam itself has taken off, closing a seed round featuring some big names, launching an API and integrating with Weavly.
And to top the year off, the startup has launched a raft of product updates including a new Facebok integration featuring loop widgets looping directly in your timeline. As for the humble gif, it has become the Oxford English Dictionary’s word of the year.
Loopcam users can create gifs, or loops, by taking a series of pictures on their phone. Loops can then be shared with the world, and a community has developed where people reply to each other’s creations.
The free app started out as a hack in Tor’s native Sweden in 2010 before the fledgling moved to Berlin. Loopcam is funded by Passion Capital as well as a syndicate of angel investors including Zoe Adamovicz of Xyologic, Felix Petersen of Amen, and Peter Read and Eric Wahlforss of SoundCloud.
Now Loopcam 1.8 has been released featuring a ‘LOL Explore’ screen and the platform’s first filter – a suitably festive number. The company has also completed its first brand collaboration with Björn Borg Underwear, resulting in a loop becoming a huge hit on Tumblr.