The cofounder of Netscape, Marc Andreessen, has developed a reputation for being able to visualise what lies ahead just around the bend. That is exactly why his investment in Qik, (pronounced “quick”), a mobile streaming-video start-up, is being looked at curiously.

Qik is fast emerging as the next great tech platform in the palm of your hand. It is a little piece of powerful software that enables users to directly stream videos from their phone to the Web. With Qik you can stream video live from your mobile phone. You can use it to stream captivating videos to your friends in Twitter, Facebook, etc. or also as your camcorder for the purpose of capturing special moments.

“Go LIVE with your life by streaming anywhere, anytime, - right from your phone. Be an eyewitness; or whip up your own streaming video blog,” the website proclaims. “Until recently, the attention in the mobile video space has largely been focused on bringing Web content to your mobile phone. But Qik offers an alluring twist to internet users who are more and more comfortable with sharing their lives online. This is the ability to stream cell phone video to the Web in real time.”