Zaptap has lined up 20 global companies to test its key product in the next six months, prompting the Fredericton-based tech company to more than double the target of its first venture capital round to $5 million.

Headed by founder and CEO Yan Simard, Zaptap’s software allows consumers to “zap” a product label in a store with their smartphones, and immediately receive information on the product such as technical specifications, warranty information, etc. The system allows a retailer or maker of a consumer product – especially a luxury item -- to design and produce a label, control the information it delivers to consumers, and track the purchasing and reaction of customers who receive a specific message.

In May, Simard said he was talking to eight or nine global brands about launching pilot projects with Zaptap. His company has now lined up 20 companies for pilots – receiving between $5,000 and $50,000 for each – and is talking to other companies about launching trials.

In these pilots, the makers of global brands attach tags to specific products in specific stores and invite consumers to zap the tag to receive information. Simard said the pilots range from targeting 10 products in about 100 stores, to tagging 50 products in a handful of stores. The most interest in Zaptap has been shown by the makers of perfume, electronics, wine, guns, cars and sporting goods.

“If we execute well with these pilots, our hope is the brands will want to go on to a larger full-time agreement,” said Simard. “Our business development strategy is really about moving these brands to long-term accounts.”

Simard first gained notice as an entrepreneur by reaching the finals of the 2011 Breakthru competition, a business plan contest organized by the New Brunswick Innovation Foundation. (NBIF is accepting applications for the 2013 Breakthru until Dec. 20.) He then gained more attention from the investment community when he was the only Atlantic Canadian company attending the 2011 Grow conference in Vancouver.

Zaptap closed a round of angel funding in May that brought the total investment in the company to between $500,000 and $1 million. The company had previously raised $225,000 from the New Brunswick Innovation Foundation and three private investors.

At the time of the last round, Simard said he was hoping to raise about $2 million from venture capital investors later in 2012. However, Zaptap has had such success in landing early adopters for its technology that it is now targeting investment of $5 million. Simard expects to close the round in the next few months.

Zaptap was also featured last weekend at the Moncton Wine Festival, when it tagged 350 products that people could taste, scan and mark as "favorites".

“The idea is to allow people to easily build their list of preferred products, retrieve this list and share it on social media,’’ said Simard. The weekend produced 8,000 scans, which he said greatly exceeded his expectations.