The current practice of making data from one PC available to another these days is to either transport it via a portable USB flash drive or push it to the cloud. But iTwin believes that a simple remote access system can complement or even replace those ubiquitous technologies.

The company has developed and patented an eponymous USB device comprising two halves that, when plugged into two separate computers, enables secure file sharing between them over the Internet.

“It is a completely unique product that is easy to use and yet highly secure,” said Mr Kal Takru, Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of iTwin. “It competes in two major markets: USB flash drives and cloud storage.”

While iTwin is itself a USB device, Mr Takru believes it offers significant advantages over USB flash drives. “Instead of carrying data on a storage device which is unprotected and can be easily lost, iTwin securely connects one PC to another using 256-bit encryption, enabling plug-and-play access to information stored remotely. The device can be password-protected and if lost, it can be quickly disabled,” he said.

“It is a reinvention of the ubiquitous USB flash drive,” Mr Takru added. “It has been over a decade since the world started using flash drives and we think that market is ripe for disruption.”

The secure remote access capabilities of iTwin also enables users to use the storage on personal desktop computers like a personal cloud, easily accessible over the Internet, yet without needing to pay monthly storage costs.

Set up in March 2010 as a spinoff from Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), iTwin received strong support from multiple government agencies in the form of grants as well as network contacts, said Mr Takru.

“We had critical support and funding from A*STAR’s Exploit Technologies to develop the product over 2 years and get it ready for market. After spinning off, we received a Technology Enterprise Commercialisation Scheme grant from SPRING Singapore and the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) which helped us develop Mac OS X support for iTwin,” he said. “International Enterprise Singapore helped us promote iTwin overseas, through marketing support and introductions to channel partners. In addition, IDA helped us obtain a booth at DEMO Asia to showcase our technology.”

iTwin now operates and manufactures its products in Singapore. It has fulfilment centres in both Singapore and the United States, and works with channel partners globally.

As a relatively new start-up, the company’s immediate goal is to enhance its visibility and presence. According to Mr Takru, it has developed an excellent network of channel partners around the world and placed sales leads in both the United States and Europe. “For 2012, we will be expanding our marketing efforts significantly and we will also be more visible in the Singapore retail market,” he said.