A Montreal entrepreneur is all set to launch his own smartwatch to throw a competition to tech giants like Sony and Samsung. Simon Tian, 19, opted for Kickstarter - the crowdsourcing Web site which provides a financial kick-start to many start-up companies like Tian's Neptune Computers Inc.

Mr Tian's vision was promptly appreciated by the online community as he fulfilled his target of raising $100,000 in about 24 hours after he had launched the campaign. The project has already collected $206,151CAD with 830 people actively backing the project when checked last. The project still has 30 days to go, which will help it collect additional funds for the project.

Mr Tian's idea of the smartwatch called "Neptune Pine" seems to have got a huge media backing as the Kickstarter campaign page shows many major names in the market appreciating the project. CNET calls its interface "cool" and specifications "sexy" while appreciating it for being totally independent from a smartphone. Yahoo! says that Tian's company deserves to be praised for offering so much in a "tiny device." Still, there has not been any compromise in terms of aesthetics, it says.

Mr Tian went to China last year and visited a number of factories. He wanted to consult the options before indulging in the project. In the Kickstarter video, Mr Tian - the CEO of Neptune - says that they believe that a smartwatch should be a "truly stand-alone device." That's why they created "Neptune Pine," the only device you'll ever need; it says.

"Neptune Pine" comes with a relatively bigger screen as the makers decided that such a big screen was required for enabling the smartwatch to be useful. While both Samsung Galaxy Gear and Sony Smartwatch 2 have a 41mm screen, "Neptune Pine" comes with a 60.96 mm (2.4 in) screen. The size is required for making calls, launching Google Android apps and browsing the web; they believe. The watch uses a micro-SIM card and that is why it turns out to be a "stand-alone" device without having to depend on any other device.

Eric Migicovsky raised over $10 million for the "Pebble Watch" last year in a similar fundraising campaign at Kickstarter.

Video courtesy: YouTube/Neptune Pine