Meet the London startup on a mission to uncover what the web will look like in 5 years

A London startup that helps software developers to build certain features into their apps has set up an R&D lab in the heart of "Tech City" to explore the future of web development.

Pusher is a platform that developers can use to build certain features into their apps, including in-app notifications, activity feeds, chat, and syncing across devices. Developers at The Financial Times, ITV, The New York Times, crowdfunding website Indiegogo, and smartphone game QuizUp, have all used Pusher to support their apps in one way or another.

But Pusher, backed by well-known Passion Capital investor Eileen Burbidge, isn't resting on its laurels. Now the company, which has raised around a £1 million and employs roughly 30 people, wants to start looking ahead and identify new mobile and web development tools that it can build into its existing platform. Cue Pusher Labs, which launched on Thursday.

Pusher Labs, based on Orsman Road in Shoreditch, will comprise of a small team of around three to four people. However, a company spokesperson said Pusher plans to hire aggressively in order to scale up the proposition, which is being led by Pusher CEO Max Williams.

"The demand for software is only going to increase and it doesn't make sense for every team to build everything themselves," said Williams in a statement. "We want to provide the building blocks that allow people to build more with less, and to reduce the cognitive overhead of managing increasingly complex systems."

Williams added: "The Lab will be free from the pressures of maintaining infrastructure that is used daily by millions of people. In this environment, we could build prototypes and ideas that seem to fit with where we think the market is going, and what things will help people in the future."