2013 is the year where wearable computing came of age.

And we're not just talking about Google Glass.

From sports trackers like Fitbit Force and Jawbone Up to smart watches from Samsung, Pebble, Adidas and Qualcomm, people are now strapping and clipping specialised devices into their lives.

And that's where the start-up from ex-OpenFeint/GREE engineer Jakob Wilkenson is hoping to make an impact.

Incubated out of Peter Relan's Studio 9+ program in San Francisco, he's launching Awear; a context-aware platform that will have a consumer-facing app as well as an underlying development platform.

Every step of the way

"The wearable market today is not unlike the pre-2007 smartphone market, with devices and applications that give a glimpse of the technology's potential but that miss broad market appeal," Wilkenson commented.

"By providing context awareness to devices like Pebble, we are going to unlock their power and open a new wave of opportunities for consumers and developers alike."

Awear will provide tools for developers that lets them intelligently operate their apps on wearables devices, while building a user experience that works with limited form factors.

"We are thrilled to have the opportunity to support Jakob Wilkenson in his mission to disrupt the wearables market and really deliver on the promise of these new devices," said Peter Relan.

"Google is the only other company trying to put context around these apps, but we believe there is a bigger market and that Jakob has the right vision to make that a reality."