IF YOU'VE come up with commonly used features of Google and co-founded a multi-million dollar company, odds are you probably know a good business idea when you see one.

Or that's what Mike Knapp hopes as he embarks on his latest business venture - this time in social media.

The co-founder of booming online shoe business Shoes of Prey started his career with a stint at Google, where he proposed the live translate feature.

Now he has quietly launched a new form of social media app aimed at solving the problems of increasing loneliness and real human connection he believes have accompanied the rise of technology.

"Technology is fantastic but in many ways it is tearing us apart. The way we communicate as a group is very broken," Mr Knapp said.

"We text message each other with emojis, we don't want to talk to each other on the phone." His new app, Mottle, provided a way for people to reach out and talk to a stranger via phone.

He described it as a spur of the moment way to connect with interesting people.

Mottle-users provide a list of interests and register as available or unavailable to receive calls via the app.

Once a conversation is over, both users rate the other to ensure Mottle is not used in an abusive way.

Mr Knapp believed it could be used for people to find new friends or dates, for business networking purposes, or to unwind with a pleasant conversation at the end of the day, and more.

He hoped the app might one day help younger and older generations connect.

"I think it is going to evolve a lot."

Early feedback had been positive, with users reporting a sense of joy after connecting with a stranger via phone.

About 130 people had downloaded the app by the end of May, with numbers growing by about two-three each day.