Skylight, a new startup challenging TikTok with a more open platform, has launched its mobile app to the public. This release follows just ten weeks of active development. Supported by investor Mark Cuban and others, the app is among several that utilize the AT Protocol, which also supports the social network Bluesky and many other rising applications.
The app was developed by Tori White, CEO, and Reed Hermeyer, CTO, and offers a short-form video experience. Users can access many familiar features such as an in-app video editor, the ability to comment, like, and share videos, set up user profiles, and follow others.
Built on the AT Protocol, often referred to as ATProto, Skylight users are immediately connected to Bluesky’s network of over 33.8 million users. This connectivity means that videos posted on Skylight can be viewed and interacted with by users on Bluesky and other ATProto-based apps, including the photo-centric app Flashes.
The company received funding during a pre-seed round from Mark Cuban, who earlier expressed his interest in funding a TikTok alternative built on the AT Protocol. Leslie Feinzaig’s Graham & Walker Venture Fund also contributed financially.
Tori White, formerly a travel influencer and now a self-taught software developer located in Seattle, along with co-founder Hermeyer, was inspired to create Skylight amid discussions of a potential TikTok ban in the U.S. In anticipation of the ban, White had archived her TikTok videos, although concerns about losing access to her community and associated comments persisted. Both White and Hermeyer recognized potential in utilizing ATProto for their app.
During the ATmosphere Conference in Seattle, Hermeyer remarked on ATProto’s appeal, noting the stability of Bluesky in contrast to early Twitter’s frequent crashes, marked by the “fail whale” graphic. This gave them confidence in the technology underlying their development efforts.
White leveraged her influencer experience by documenting Skylight’s development on TikTok, thus raising awareness about the product and attracting a user base of interested followers. White shared at the conference that establishing distribution was a strategic move, emphasizing the importance of building a narrative around Skylight to generate interest.
White’s TikTok profile, @buildwithtori, now boasts nearly 50,000 followers, many of whom became early testers of Skylight. Like Bluesky, Skylight permits video uploads of up to three minutes, following a recent capacity increase. White envisions Skylight evolving beyond being a decentralized TikTok replica.
Future updates may include user-customizable feeds and new interaction gestures beyond basic swiping and scrolling. Additional features such as sounds, duets, stitching, bookmarks, and playlists are also being developed. The app, currently in beta on the Google Play Store, is now available publicly on the Apple App Store following initial testing phases.
