Social polling startup Poutsch comes out of beta and onto the iPhone

Poutsch’s addictive social polling is finally opening up to the public today with the launch of a new iPhone app.

We were intrigued by Poutsch and its potential to “rehack democracy” with social polling when it began privately beta testing its service in March, but now the company is doubling down on its initial lofty goals while also trying to tap into a sense of fun. (Its name is derived from the German putsch, which means a political coup.)

“If you have enough people behind a tool, you can actually influence companies and policy-makers,” Felix Winckler, the cofounder and chief operating officer of Poutsch, told VentureBeat.

The company’s free iPhone app sports a colorful and flat design that practically begs for you to play with it. You can use Poutsch to poll your friends on just about any question (assisted by photos, video, and other media), and you can also see questions submitted by people you follow. What’s key with Poutsch is that you can also embed questions on websites, so just about anyone can participate in the polls (and it’s also a smart way to convince more people to sign up).

Naturally, the company’s big goal with its iPhone app is to make its presence known on mobile. It’s a good move for Poutsch as its bite-sized polls are perfect for when you’re stuck waiting in line or sitting on the bus. The company is positioning itself as a faster and simpler alternative to Q&A sites like Quora.

Poutsch was founded in Paris, but its founders moved to New York City last year to set up shop in the U.S. The company now has offices in Brooklyn.