Liveblocks: Real-time Collaboration API

Introducing Liveblocks: APIs for Collaborative Applications

Liveblocks is a startup focused on simplifying the development of collaborative features within applications. Their core offering revolves around a suite of APIs designed to facilitate multiplayer experiences on both the web and within native apps.

Real-Time Presence and Collaboration

Initially, Liveblocks launched with a live presence state API. This allows developers to indicate user activity, such as displaying avatars when users join a page, project, or document.

Furthermore, the API enables real-time sharing of cursor positions and content selections, enhancing the collaborative experience.

Live Storage API: A Key Feature

Currently in private beta, Liveblocks is introducing a live storage API. This feature is crucial as it empowers multiple users to simultaneously view and edit the same data.

Potential applications include the creation of collaborative document editors, similar to Google Docs, or the integration of interactive whiteboard tools into existing services.

Technical Details and Pricing

The service is designed for cross-browser and cross-device compatibility. Underlying the functionality is a WebSocket connection, ensuring real-time communication.

Pricing is determined by the anticipated number of concurrent connections within a shared space, document, or experience.

The Genesis of Liveblocks

According to co-founder and CEO Steven Fabre, the company’s origins lie in a personal project. “Guillaume Salles and I initially set out to build a collaborative presentation and video tool.”

“However, we quickly discovered that the majority of our time was consumed by the complexities of real-time collaboration, diverting focus from the core functionality,” Fabre explained.

Existing solutions proved inadequate for their specific needs, prompting them to develop their own. This led to a pivotal decision: to abandon the initial project and instead focus on “productizing” the APIs they had created.

Funding and Future Plans

Liveblocks secured a $1.4 million pre-seed funding round during the summer months.

Notable investors include Boldstart, Seedcamp, Meta fund, Logic & Rhythm, Ian Storm Taylor, Max Stoiber, Moritz Plassnig, Badrul Farooqi, and Anthony DiMare.

The company, currently comprised of the two founders, intends to utilize the funding to expand its engineering team and officially launch the live storage API.

Liveblocks vs. Existing Solutions

A significant advantage of Liveblocks is its high-level API. This contrasts with companies like Ably, which concentrate on the lower-level infrastructure aspects.

A React developer, for instance, can readily integrate Liveblocks into a product by simply consulting the documentation, without needing in-depth knowledge of the underlying infrastructure.

• This simplifies the development process considerably.
• It allows developers to focus on building features rather than managing complex real-time systems.