Imaginova

About Imaginova

Imaginova Corporation operated as a multifaceted digital media and commerce entity, focusing on science, space, and technological innovation to engage an audience described as "intellectually curious". The company originated as Space.com, launched on July 20, 1999, to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. It was founded by former CNN anchor Lou Dobbs and Rich Zahradnik, who served as its first president. The venture attracted prominent figures to its board, including astronauts Neil Armstrong and Sally Ride, with Ride also briefly serving as president after Zahradnik's departure.

Initially established as Space Holdings Corp., the company rebranded to Imaginova in May 2004 under the leadership of Dan Stone, who became CEO in 2002. This name change signaled a broader scope beyond space, leading to the launch of LiveScience.com to cover a wider range of scientific topics. Imaginova's business model was a hybrid of content and commerce. It generated revenue through online advertising and content syndication to major news portals like Yahoo!, MSNBC, and Fox News.com. The company also expanded through strategic acquisitions, including the Starry Night astronomy software, the Orion Telescopes & Binoculars brand, and the comic book news site Newsarama. These acquisitions provided crucial revenue streams, particularly when the primary websites struggled with profitability.

The company's primary product was its network of content websites, led by Space.com, which provided news, live coverage of space missions, and astronomical discoveries. It also developed and owned the Starry Night software, a popular application for Mac, Windows, and mobile devices. The e-commerce arm was significant, with the ownership of Orion Telescopes & Binoculars making it a major player in the telescope market. Despite building a strong audience and traffic, the company faced monetization challenges. In 2009, Imaginova divested its consumer media division, including Space.com, LiveScience.com, and Newsarama, to TechMediaNetwork (later Purch). The Starry Night software was sold to Simulation Curriculum Corporation in 2008, and SpaceNews was sold in 2012. Orion Telescopes & Binoculars was later repurchased by its management team in 2017, marking the end of Imaginova's operations as it was known.