Supernova

About Supernova

Supernova Inc., originally incorporated as Viddy in December 2010, was a Venice, CA-based social mobile media company. It was founded by JJ Aguhob, Brett O'Brien, and Chris Ovitz. Aguhob, who served as CEO and President, brought over a decade of experience in product management from roles at AOL and MySpace. O'Brien, an alumnus of The Wharton School, had previously founded Xdrive and Murphy O'Brien Public Relations. The company focused on the social mobile creation and sharing market, aiming to provide elegant technology for storytelling.

The firm's flagship product was Viddy, a mobile video application that enabled users to capture, edit with cinematic filters, and share short video clips. Launched in April 2011, Viddy allowed users to create 15-second videos, add post-production effects and music, and share them across social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. The app gained significant traction, at one point being dubbed the "Instagram for video," and attracted high-profile celebrity users and investors, leading to a valuation of $370 million. The business generated revenue through its social media platform, which connected users and brands. Following a period of intense competition from new entrants like Twitter's Vine and Instagram's video feature, the company rebranded from Viddy to Supernova.

Despite raising a total of $48 million from prominent investors including Battery Ventures, Goldman Sachs, and Khosla Ventures, Supernova faced significant challenges. The competitive pressure led to a decline in its user base and a subsequent restructuring. In January 2014, Supernova was acquired by Fullscreen Inc., a new media company. The deal was estimated to be in the $15 million range, with Supernova's employees joining the Fullscreen team. The Viddy app was officially shut down on December 15th, 2014, as the new parent company focused on building new products.