When I started coding the Bitmagic engine in January 2023, I was a solo player in a startup struggling with its product vision. We were on a different path, but I clearly saw how generative AI could let us create entire games using prompts. Back then, nobody really got it or believed in what I was doing – except for one person: Markus Hjort, our Tech Lead. Markus was eager to join my little rebellion to build a tech demo and prove we had invented something special.

For the next few months, we worked tirelessly – I was in the US and Markus in Finland, so as he finished his day, I’d pick up where he left off. Soon, our investors embraced the vision, and we pivoted the entire company around this new product. We rebranded as Bitmagic, and the rest is history.

Over the past 18 months, my role has shifted towards product vision and business development, while Markus has focused on building the tech platform. I still code, but none of this would have been possible without Markus leading the development efforts.

I’m thrilled and proud to announce the promotion of my co-founder Markus Hjort to CTO of Bitmagic! Our leadership team now has a unique blend of skills: a CEO who codes, a CTO who codes, and a COO who keeps everything running smoothly without coding. Congratulations, Markus, and here’s to achieving more great things together!

Jani Penttinen, CEO, Bitmagic