Supersonic

About Supersonic

Initially, there were several distinct companies operating under the name Supersonic. One was a mobile advertising technology platform, another a video game developer, and a third an e-commerce solutions provider. The most prominent entity to emerge is Boom Supersonic, founded in 2014 by Blake Scholl. Scholl, a software engineer with a history at Amazon and Groupon, was driven by a passion for aviation and a desire to resurrect supersonic passenger travel after seeing the Concorde in a museum. His background in software and e-commerce, including co-founding and selling a mobile tech startup called Kima Labs to Groupon, provided a foundation in building and scaling complex systems.

Boom Supersonic is focused on manufacturing a supersonic airliner named 'Overture'. This aircraft is designed to carry 64-80 passengers in business-class style seating, drastically reducing flight times, such as cutting a Tokyo to Seattle trip to under five hours. The company's primary clients are major airlines, with significant pre-orders and investment from carriers like United Airlines, American Airlines, and Japan Airlines. The business model hinges on the direct sale of these high-value aircraft to commercial airlines. To validate the necessary technology, Boom first developed the XB-1, a one-third-scale demonstrator aircraft, which serves as a crucial milestone and learning platform before the full-scale production of Overture. The company is also developing its own engine, 'Symphony', in partnership with firms like Florida Turbine Technologies.

A key part of Boom's strategy is to make supersonic travel economically viable, with fares comparable to today's business class. The company has secured over $700 million in funding from a wide range of investors, including venture capital firms like Bessemer Venture Partners and the U.S. Air Force. Manufacturing for the Overture is based at a 'superfactory' in Greensboro, North Carolina, with passenger flights targeted to begin by 2029.

Separately, another company, Supersonic Studios, operates as a game publishing solution under Unity. Led by Nadav Ashkenazi, this entity focuses on the hyper-casual and hybrid-casual mobile game market. It provides developers with technology and expertise to test, monetize, and scale their games, aiming for long-term partnerships rather than single-hit successes. This Supersonic works on a partnership model, offering transparency and sharing data to help developers turn their games into profitable businesses.