Messaging app Wiper launches movie subscription service

PanARMENIAN.Net - Wiper announced Friday, February 5 that it has raised another $2 million, bringing its total seed round to $4.5 million as the messaging app expands into entertainment. The company has also launched a $4.99 monthly streaming service for independent films, along with an Apple TV app, VentureBeat reports.

The latest infusion of capital comes from the company’s existing investor Michael Choupak, a serial Internet entrepreneur who founded cloud-based business email provider Intermedia. He provided the first half of Wiper’s seed round in 2014, putting in $2.5 million.

Created as a way to let you not only communicate, but also consume entertainment and transfer money using Bitcoin, Wiper seeks to differentiate itself from better-known messaging services like Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp. In this age of government spying and privacy concerns, Wiper utilizes encryption technology to let you communicate with additional assurances of privacy, VentureBeat says.

Besides chatting, you can watch YouTube videos and songs right from the app, as well as making voice calls. When you’re done with your activity, Wiper lets you simply erase the data from your device, from your friend’s device, and from the server, hopefully leaving no trace of your viewing history or communication.

Since Wiper is all about entertainment, it has launched a monthly subscription service to connect you with thousands of original shorts and feature-length films produced by indie filmmakers. Sixty-five percent of the $4.99 monthly fee will go directly to the creators, paid out through Bitcoin.

Wiper users can now play previews of available movies through the company’s mobile apps. In an effort to entice you to subscribe, Wiper said it makes 20 percent of a film available for free. The film subscription also offers ways for the filmmakers to directly communicate with you using messaging and sharing tools.