TweetDeck, a desktop Air app which has revolutionised Twitter use for heavy users like myself, is “close” to securing an angel funding round of nearly $500,000 from seed funding house Betaworks, reports TechCrunch.com.

TweetDeck was developed buy one guy, Iain Dodsworth, who says the app has been downloaded 250,000 times since its launch last Summer. Because the app allows you to create groups, you can follow lots of people but split certain people you follow into groups – say work, colleagues, mates, family etc. You can also set up running searches. Dodsworth is hoping to convince power users and companies to pay up for a pro version of the software at some point. There might be something in this but since Twitter has yet to reveal its own business model – there is no way of know if they would develop their own app for exculsive use, for instance – the jury is out. I understand there will also be an iPhone app version which will sync with any changes made to the desktop version. I’d probably pay for that.

While in New York Dodsworth gave MediaMemo on AllThingsD the story, and a video interview, below. I covered Tweetdeck in a podcast and stories in September, October and November.

It does seem strange that Dodsworth telegraphed this funding announcement before it was official. Usually that sort of behaviour spooks investors. Perhaps it’s in the bag? Let’s hope it is.