London-based social network Yubl has shut down

Yubl, the London-based startup that created a messaging app favoured by teenagers and reality TV stars, has shut down, sources told Business Insider.

Yubl was a messaging app with added features. You could private message other users, follow celebrities and brands, and post publicly. The app is currently still live in the App Store.

CEO Gareth Evans, whose LinkedIn profile shows he left the company earlier this month, told Alphr earlier this year that his app "moves 'digital conversation' significantly closer to genuine human interaction. By offering the opportunity for people to express their individuality in real time, and to also remove the need to continuously jump between apps, Yubl evolves social messaging to a new place."

A former Yubl employee claimed administrators have stopped employees from gaining access to their email accounts. The company's LinkedIn page says it had at least 50 employees. Yubl did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

There had been some early signs of success for Yubl. Its app climbed the App Store rankings, at one point becoming the fourth most popular free social networking app in the UK above Skype, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. Apple even promoted Yubl in the "featured" section of the App Store.