Facebook CTO Bret Taylor has announced he will be leaving the social network this summer to start his own company.
Taylor, who has pioneered the recent introduction of Timeline profiles, Open Graph apps, iOS 6 integration and the iOS camera app, says the time is right to leave following the recent IPO.
The new company, details of which remain unknown, will be founded with Taylor's pal Kevin Gibbs, who is currently heading-up the Google App Engine programme.
He says: "I've learned more than I ever imagined in my time at Facebook. I'm also extremely grateful for my relationship with all of the amazing people I've worked with here."
FriendFeed founder
Taylor has been with the company since 2009 when Facebook bought out his FriendFeed network. He says embarking on another start-up has always been in his sights.
"I had always been upfront with Mark that I eventually wanted to do another start-up," he said in an interview with All Things D.
"And we felt now is the best time after the IPO and the launch of some recent things for me to do that."
Taylor's role will now be split into two, with existing employees stepping-up to the plate. Mike Vernal will look after platform development and Cory Ondreijka will oversee Facebook's mobile offerings.
