Skyfire (company)
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Telecom |
| Founded | 2007 |
| Founder | Nitin Bhandari, Erik Swenson, Co-Founders |
| Headquarters | , USA |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Nitin Bhandari (CEO) |
| Products | Rocket Optimizer, Skyfire Horizon |
Number of employees | 50+ |
| Parent | Otello Corporation |
| Website | Archived 2014-12-26 at the Wayback Machine |
Skyfire is a software enterprise established in 2007 and later acquired by Opera Software ASA (currently known as Otello Corporation) in 2013. The Skyfire brand was phased out in 2015 when it was rebranded as Opera’s Network Solutions division. The company’s expertise lies in network optimization solutions, focusing on video enhancement and monetization technologies tailored for telecom providers. Skyfire ceased development of its web browser in 2014 to concentrate exclusively on technologies for mobile network operators. Initially backed by venture capital investments, Opera purchased the company for $155 million, primarily attracted by its video optimization innovations.
History
Skyfire was launched in 2007 by founders Nitin Bhandari and Erik Swenson under the original name DVC Labs, before adopting the Skyfire name in 2008. The firm secured its first round of funding amounting to $4.8 million from Matrix Partners and Trinity Ventures in June 2007. In 2008, an additional $13 million was raised from Lightspeed Venture Partners alongside Matrix and Trinity, with a Lightspeed representative joining the company's board.
In January 2012, Verizon Investments LLC invested $8 million into Skyfire, joined by existing investors Matrix, Trinity, and Lightspeed. The company broadened its product lineup through the acquisition of Kolbysoft in 2010, integrating Kolby’s Steel Web Browser to enhance its Android browser capabilities.
A $10 million Series D funding round was completed in October 2012, led by Panorama Capital—a venture firm originating from JP Morgan Chase. Opera Software’s acquisition of Skyfire in February 2013 for $155 million was a strategic effort to combine Skyfire’s video optimization technology with Opera’s content optimization offerings. By February 2015, Skyfire had been fully merged into Opera as the Network Solutions division, marking a transition toward telecom-centric product solutions.
Technology
Skyfire’s principal offerings consist of the Rocket Optimizer, a multimedia optimization platform for video and audio, and the Skyfire Horizon, a browser extension framework.
Rocket Optimizer
Rocket Optimizer is designed for wireless carriers to enhance video and image delivery by conserving bandwidth and improving multimedia streaming quality under challenging wireless conditions. It enables real-time optimization for most unencrypted online videos, dynamically adjusting based on device type and network load. The system applies more intensive optimization for smaller display devices and during periods of heavy network congestion while maintaining minimal impact on user experience. Released in January 2013, Rocket Optimizer 3.0 provides carrier-grade video and data optimization across both 3G and 4G LTE infrastructures. It supports widely used formats such as MP4—common in HTML5 and iOS streaming—facilitating smoother mobile playback while allowing operators to monitor and alleviate congestion at the individual stream level.
Skyfire Horizon
Skyfire Horizon is a flexible browser extension framework embedded within native smartphone browsers. It offers a cloud-based operator portal accessible through default mobile browsers, allowing operators to configure extensions remotely without requiring client-side software updates. This platform delivers tailored user services alongside advertising functionalities. Currently implemented by several major North American carriers and undergoing pilot programs in both the U.S. and Europe, Horizon empowers operators with enhanced management over browser capabilities.
In October 2012, Sprint integrated Skyfire Horizon into its Pinsight Media+ advertising platform for forthcoming Android devices, broadening the product’s presence in the market.
Skyfire Web Browser
The Skyfire Web Browser was a mobile browser available for download that processed web content on proprietary servers before streaming it to users’ devices. Its technology advanced through two main versions: the initial release (1.x) fully rendered pages server-side, akin to Opera Mini’s approach, while the subsequent version (2.x) adopted a hybrid model combining local rendering with server-delivered video streams.
The browser received notable industry accolades, such as the 2009 Webby Award "People's Voice" for Best Mobile Application, PC World's 2010 designation as the "World's Best Third-Party Android Browser," TechCrunch’s ranking as the "#2 Android App of All Time," and Apple’s "Top iPad Utility" award in 2011. It supported multiple platforms including iOS, Android, SymbianOS, and Windows Mobile before being discontinued in May 2014.
Awards
Skyfire earned recognition as one of Light Reading’s top ten startups to watch in 2011 and was featured among Red Herring’s top 100 most innovative firms in 2012. The company secured the grand prize at the 2012 TIA Venture Network Challenge and received Best in Show honors at the 2013 Fierce Innovation Awards for its Rocket Optimizer solution.
External links
- Discontinued mobile web browsers
- Privately held companies of the United States
- American companies established in 2007
- Telecommunications companies of the United States
- Software companies established in 2007
- Software companies based in Mountain View, California
- 2013 mergers and acquisitions
- Companies based in Mountain View, California
- Companies of the United States by year of establishment