Design to code is finally becoming reality, says Supernova’s founder

Supernova was founded in Ostrava, but you're now based inthe US. Did you move there right after Y Combinator in 2018?
We actually moved back to the Czech Republic after Y Combinator. But in 2021,during the pandemic, my wife and I decided it made sense to relocate to the US. We now have a team of seven here. My two co-founders are still in the Czech Republic Oskar Kořistka runs business and operations, and our CTO, Artem Ufimtcev, leads the engineering team.

We develop in Europe and handle sales and marketing in the US, which is a common setup for startups. Development is cheaper in Europe, and we’re a more attractive employer there. In the US, we’d be competing with giants like Apple and Meta, which we simply can’t outbid. But if you're looking to sell globally, there's no better place to be than America.

Has the definition of your product evolved since your investment rounds in 2020 and 2022?
The last two years were transformative for us which is reflected in our ability to raise a new round in such a tough environment. It’s been a difficult period for startups. Many didn’t make it, even those with metrics that would’ve guaranteed funding three years ago.

For us, years of hard work paid off. We built a stable and growing business, and at the same time, laid the foundation for something new and genuinely big.

What exactly is that “big thing”?
We started out as a design-to-code platform, aiming to automate the translation of designs into code to save designers time. If that had worked flawlessly, we’d be a billion-dollar company by now. But it didn’t.

Code generated by such tools was only ever a rough draft not usable by developers. They need code that fits their architecture and conventions, and we had no insight into how those teams worked. After Y Combinator, we pivoted to a different product which was the right call. But we always said we might come back to the original idea someday.

And now that moment has arrived?
Exactly. Supernova today is a tool that helps design and engineering team scollaborate efficiently through automation that eliminates much of the manual work. It’s not exactly design-to-code though we do offerdesign-to-documentation but it puts us in a unique position.

We now have access to vast amounts of code, design, and documentation data. And after six or seven years of development, we’ve reached the point where what we originally set out to build is finally possible. AI has advanced dramatically, and we now have the data and the infrastructure to make it work. That’s what makes this new product so exciting it brings our founding idea to life.

Is this a replacement for your current product, or an extension?
It’s complementary. The two products can work side by side. One helps teams manage data and automate workflows, while the new one is laser-focused on developers and designers automating much of what they do.

For the first time, we can deliver on our original promise. Developers can take something like a login screen from a mobile app, and we’ll give them source code that’s nearly identical to what they would’ve written themselves.

How groundbreaking is that?
Many teams have tried this before. It’s not a new idea but they failed because they lacked the right data. We’re the only ones who have it, and our approach is entirely new.

It works incredibly well. We hope it becomes the reason Supernova exists in the first place and it’s also why we were able to raise our Series A. Our existing product is already performing well and we expect tripledigit revenue growth this year. Our clients include Mozilla, KLM, AirFrance, Kraft Heinz, Paramount, VMware, Tripadvisor, and the Czech startup Mews.

But all of that is still just a stepping stone toward our ultimate goal the one that brings everything full circle. I always believed we’d get there, even when others told me it wouldn’t work. We gave up years we could’ve spent living comfortably, but it was worth it.

What made you want to solve this problem in the first place?
Honestly, it was something I always hated. I’m a developer at heart. I wrote my first software when I was eight or nine, then built websites and mobile apps. When the first iPhone came out, I saw an opportunity and although it didn’tmake me rich, it was a major learning experience.

I spent years freelancing, lived in the Netherlands, built apps for clients in New Zealand and Australia, and even developed the official tourism app for New York City. I worked on amazing projects. But eventually, I realized I was doing the same thing over and over and I wanted to see at least part of that work automated.

When did it stop being a side project and turn into astartup?
At first, I built the early versions just for myself. While working at STRV, I connected with Artem. Later, Oskar joined us, we needed someone to handle the business side. Choosing my co-founders was the best decision I ever made. We complement each other perfectly.

We started working in the evenings, then raised a small round from Credo Ventures to build our first product. That led us to Y Combinator, where we searched for product–market fit and realized we had to build something different. A few years later, here we are.

Weren’t your investors worried that chasing your original dream might distract from the current business?
We’ve been lucky to work with great investors. Both Kaya and EQT Ventures have always given us full freedom, probably because we’re still a relatively small startup for them. Their approach is - if you have a vision, go for it.

But I won’t lie building a second product as a small company is incredibly tough. It’s hard to stay focused on what brings in revenue while also creating something entirely new. Our investors reminded us not to lose direction, especially now that the business is growing nicely. After all, a working company with solid revenue is better than chasing a dream that might never come true.

Did the rise of AI make that dream possible again?
Absolutely. After Y Combinator, we weren’t sure we’d ever return to that original idea. It felt like a pipe dream. But today, the technology is on a whole different level. AI has taken a giant leap forward it’s practically magic.

Most users only see tools like image generators or chatbots, which are impressive. But when it comes to solving deep technical problems oranalyzing complex data, AI is even more powerful. And it’s become affordable. AI costs have dropped sharply. On top of that, the market is finally ready forserious automation and large-scale change.

How hard was it to raise your current Series A round?
We always seem to raise at the worst time. Last time, war had just broken out. Even though we had a presence in the US, everyone still saw us as a European startup. That meant extremely rigorous due diligence every contract and payment was examined.

Last year, VCs were nervous. We had a signed term sheet from a major investor, passed all the checks, and after four months they suddenly withdrew for internal reasons we never fully understood. Suddenly, we had no investment and only weeks of runway left. It was late November, and we were facing an existential crisis.

But clearly things turned around. What happened?
Taiwania Capital was originally meant to be a co-investor they’d partnered with J&T Ventures before. We asked if they’d be willing to lead the round, and just before Christmas, they said yes.

Meanwhile, we looked for other co-investors. We immediately clicked with J&T Ventures on a personal level, which is critical when you’re building something bold and new. The day before Christmas Eve, we shook hands it felt like a Christmas miracle.

Reflex Capital helped us massively too. They moved quickly and extended our runway even before the round closed. Without them, we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now.

Is being labeled as an “AI startup” helping or hurting at this stage?
When Chat GPT came out, everyone jumped on the AI wave. If your product had evena hint of AI, raising money was relatively easy. If not, it was nearly impossible.

Today, every investor has seen AI pitched in a thousand different ways. Founders often use it as a marketing buzzword, and even products that aren't really AI try to appear as if they are. The market is oversaturated. Investors are going back to backing technically sophisticated products.

And there’s still economic uncertainty. Funds have time. They’re not rushing into deals.

Do you see a difference between VC markets in the US and Europe?
Honestly, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the quality of Czech VCs. During our Series A process, we spoke with over 100 funds from the US and Europe. In the end, we chose two Czech investors and one from Taiwan.

The differences aren’t as big as they used to be. If anything, US investors want a bold vision and a bit of storytelling. European funds, on the other hand, are extremely focused on the numbers. The downside is they move much more slowly.

An American VC might schedule three meetings in a week and give you a decision right after. In Europe, it’s more like three weeks. And for startups, time is the most precious commodity.

Are US investors interested in Europe?
Absolutely. Many US funds now see Europe as untapped ground. They bring big money and find teams that are just as good or better than those in the US. There’s also far less competition among VCs here. And for European startups, having a Silicon Valley investor still brings a lot of credibility.

Will the new product change your business model?
Today we serve over 100 large enterprises. But our current product is typically used by a very narrow audience usually product team leads. Even in huge companies, that’s a small number of users. Each client pays between $10,000 and $50,000.

With the new product, we’re targeting the entire product organization. We expect not only to gain new high-profile logos, but also to significantly increase usage among existing customers maybe 30 to 50 times more users.

That’s crucial for our sales team, because signing a new enterprise client can take six months. But we offer clear, measurable value a developer in the US can cost $200,000–250,000 per year. If we make them 30–40% more efficient, the ROI is immediate.

How do you reach such specific users?
Traditional marketing doesn’t work on developers. They block ads and hang outin different corners of the internet. So we’ve taken an approach similar to early Figma: focusing on communities, helping people, building our own network.

Until now, we’ve done almost no outbound nearly every client came to us. But that’s changing. With new funding, we finally have the product and infrastructure to scale our go-to-market efforts.

We need more visibility. Right now, relatively few companies know we exist.

Which markets are you focusing on next?
Our primary focus remains the US and Europe. We’re also active in Australia and New Zealand.

And thanks to our Taiwanese investors, we’re looking into Asia as well it’s a market full of opportunities. In fact, our investor explicitly asked us to establish a presence there.