Y Combinator-backed firm Vimcal thinks creating an occasion takes too many steps within the present crop of calendar apps. So the corporate has made a calendar app that permits you to create and edit occasions in just some steps. At the moment, the startup is releasing its iOS app together with integration for Outlook accounts.
The corporate already has internet and desktop shoppers for Home windows and Macs (each Intel and M1), and a Chrome extension for people who like to have a look at their calendars and schedule their occasions on an enormous display. However till now, Vimcal solely supported Google (Google Workspace) accounts.
The workforce has made it simpler to make use of the calendar by assigning a keyboard shortcut to virtually each motion: from creating an occasion to leaping rapidly between conferences to see what’s developing within the week. It roughly takes three to 5 steps to create an occasion. The calendar additionally has a command middle, which helps you to kind sentences like “Lunch assembly with Lisa at 1 pm tomorrow” to rapidly create an occasion.
Picture Credit: Vimcal
Vimcal additionally makes it simpler to supply timeslots for conferences. It affords a extra customizable resolution to scheduling software program like Calendly: you’ll be able to merely drag accessible slots throughout the calendar, copy them and paste them into an electronic mail. You may as well outline fastened timeslots for each week with a characteristic known as Private Hyperlinks, which is extra like Calendly.
One of many handiest options of Vimcal is time journey, which simply enables you to evaluate time zones so you could find an appropriate slot for all. And it enables you to add a number of time zones for comparability.
All of those options can be found within the new iOS app, which has been in beta since April. However as a substitute of keyboard shortcuts, they’re optimized for contact interface. The corporate made this app with the assistance of its acquisition of Weve Calendar earlier this summer season. The brand new app additionally enables you to ship a fast electronic mail from the notification display to ship an electronic mail to others in case you’re working a couple of minutes late for a gathering.
Picture Credit: Vimcal
Vimcal for iOS is a free app, however if you wish to use the product on the desktop you’ll have to pay $15 per 30 days or $150 per 12 months. For groups with greater than 5 members, the product prices $120 per 12 months. The corporate is already engaged on making Vimcal adaptable to enterprise utilization with customizable options.
Each cell and desktop variations let you take a look at your teammates’ calendars, making it simpler to select a time for a gathering throughout time zones.
The corporate’s founder and CEO John Li first launched the product in January 2020 — proper earlier than the pandemic and the rise of distant work. Initially, the corporate onboarded customers with a 30-minute name to present an outline of the product — much like electronic mail shopper Superhuman — and reply any questions they may have. Li mentioned that for the primary 12 months and a half the workforce onboarded 10,000 customers by means of calls — a few of them doubled as investor calls. The corporate nonetheless has an choice for brand spanking new prospects to schedule a name with the workforce whereas attempting out the product or buying the subscription.
Vimcal has raised $1.9 million so far from buyers like Y Combinator, Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia, former Twitter CEO Dick Costolo, Teachable founder Ankur Nagpal and Hustle Fund.
“For the subsequent half 12 months, we’re concentrating on constructing options for groups. Till now, we have been targeted on making the exterior scheduling and self-scheduling expertise easy. Now, we need to concentrate on inside scheduling for groups and enterprises. We’re additionally constructing apps for iPad and Apple Watch, and later Android,” Li mentioned on a name with .
The startup, which has a workforce of 9 individuals, additionally launched a product known as Vimcal Maestro for government assistants earlier this month.
There’s loads of competitors within the calendar house. There are legacy gamers like Google and Outlook with new gamers like Calendly, Aerotime, Amie and Magical competing for a slot in your calendar. Li claims that velocity and ease of use is Vimcal’s USP.
“We at all times inform our customers that no matter you are able to do in one other calendar app, you are able to do in Vimcal in half the variety of steps or much less. Now we have designed our product to be intuitive and quick,” Li mentioned.
“After we have been making our app, we listed out each keystroke and mouse motion you wanted to make to do the highest 10 issues like creating an occasion in a calendar. After which we checked out that checklist and decreased the variety of steps.”
