A group of former Skype staff members launched Wire, a free mobile messaging app that combines audio calls with tools to let users share media and messages. It is available on both Apple’s App Store and Google Play.

Wire has been in development for two years, during which time big names that have changed the face of the messaging app sector like Snapchat, Tango and Kik have attracted millions of users. They are also worth a lot: earlier this year Facebook acquired one of the most popular messaging apps, WhatsApp, for $22 billion.

It therefore goes without saying that Wire is entering a competitive and crowded market and will have to differentiate itself to compete with such established players.

On its download page, it is described as “visually rich, clean, and elegant” with “pristine audio quality”. It said versions for tablets and browsers are coming soon.

“Photos on Wire display beautifully inline, SoundCloud music and YouTube videos blend nicely with text and pictures,” the description states.

Wire allows users to pull in contacts from their contact list, like most messaging apps, and gives suggestions on other people users might know who are also using the app. Users can not only set up groups but can kick other users out even if they are not administrators.

The company plans to earn money by selling add-ons within the app although it will avoid using personal data to target advertising.

However, its biggest advantage may lie in its creators. Its co-founder and CEO Jonathan Christensen was an executive at Skype and sold a startup to the company in 2006. Priidu Zilmer, one of Skype’s first designers, is also part of the team, along with Koen Vos, a former Skype technical architect.

What’s more, Wire has the support of Janus Friis, one of Skype’s two co-founders. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, he said Wire is “not another messaging app” but “a new, modern communication network”.

Friis’s investment group Iconical has in the past supported startups like Aether, a hardware company working on a speaker controlled by voice, and Vivino, an app for wine reviews.

Wire has not revealed how much funding it has raised.