Rheo
Social video platform that delivers a curated stream of topical and trending videos personalized to tastes and viewing habits.
| Date | Investors | Amount | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | investor | €0.0 | round |
| investor investor investor investor investor | €0.0 | round | |
N/A | Angel | ||
| Total Funding | 000k | ||
Rheo, operating under the legal name Copper Studios, Inc., was a social video platform designed to simplify the consumption of online video content. The company was founded by Alan Cannistraro, a technology industry veteran with a significant background at Apple and Facebook. His experience includes developing the first-ever iOS app, Remote, and contributing to major features like iBooks at Apple and Autoplay video at Facebook, which shaped his approach to media interaction and user experience.
Launched around 2016, the San Francisco-based company aimed to solve the problem of content fragmentation by offering a continuous, personalized stream of short-form videos. Instead of active searching, users could select a mood—such as 'Laugh', 'Learn', or 'Chill'—and the platform would function as a “video DJ,” curating a lean-back viewing experience. The service learned user preferences over time, adjusting the algorithm with every swipe to the next video. Rheo was available on Apple TV, iPhone, and the web, positioning itself as an alternative to platforms requiring more active selection, like YouTube or Netflix.
The business model was centered on creating a seamless discovery engine for high-quality short-form content sourced from various partners, including Vimeo and Refinery29. In August 2016, the company secured $2.3 million in a seed funding round to support its development and content acquisition efforts. However, the platform appears to be inactive. The founder, Alan Cannistraro, assumed the role of CTO at Apollo Neuroscience in May 2022. The Rheo app on the App Store has not been updated since June 2022, and user reviews from that time indicate significant functionality issues, suggesting the service is no longer operational.
Keywords: Alan Cannistraro, Copper Studios, personalized video, video curation, video streaming, mood-based playlist, short-form video, content discovery, social video platform, Apple TV app, video DJ, media consumption, lean-back experience, video algorithm, content aggregation, digital video, mobile video