Feature that makes quick work of texting

What: Swype, based in Fremont area of Seattle

Who: Aaron Sheedy, 39, COO

Mission: Streamline text input for smartphones by incorporating fluid motion instead of typing one letter at a time.

Employees: 23

Financials: The private company just received $5.6 million in a second round of financing. Sheedy expects the funds will carry the company to profitability in about a year. It has finalized several deals with smartphone companies, receiving 25 cents for every phone sold that has Swype technology.

Letter boxing: Touch typing doesn't work on flat-screen touch phones. In Swype's technology, instead of tapping C-A-T keys separately, users move their fingers in a single motion that touches the letters in succession. If the word doesn't appear correctly, a double tap displays probable options. After a while, the phone learns commonly used words, which requires less precise motion to get the desired term. "If you use the word 'supercilious' all the time, it will become more accessible," Sheedy said.

Core business: Sheedy said an attempt to get Swype's technology onto Apple products was unfruitful, but the company last week announced its product is being integrated into T-Mobile USA touch-screen devices, including the myTouch 3G Android smartphone. Sheedy said it also could be incorporated in tablet keyboards from other vendors.

Spellbinding: Sheedy said the Swype feature drives retail sales, as many customers immediately see the benefits. But there is something of a learning curve. "First-time users are always in a situation when they are in a middle of a word and realize they have screwed it up," Sheedy said. "They keep going to see where it will turn out, and usually it's pretty close."

— Charles Bermant