The iFund, set up by venture capitalists Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, has selected the first apps that’ll get its backing, boasting home automation features and location-based search.
In case you weren’t already aware, the iFund is a $100 million cash pot specifically for investment in upcoming software for the iPhone.
The first developers to be awarded the cash are Pelago and iControl.
Pelago’s Whrrl software will bring location-based search to the handset, letting users scan their local area for services or locations, before looking at recommendations from their own friends or the internet as a whole.
The venture capitalist firm has told Business Week that the software will feature a “what’s going on around me right now” button, so “you’re always one button away from that immediate context.”
Meanwhile, iControl lets iPhone owners tap into their home air conditioning, lighting, window shades and appliances wherever they are, using the handset as the ultimate home automation device.
So far we’ve heard 1,700 developers have applied for iFund cash, but just three have been awarded the money (the third developer is still unknown), while Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers are “seriously considering” ten more.
