The Kolibri Games Story - From Flat-Share Founding to €100 Million Exit

About this episode

How do you build an app that will eventually have over 100 million users? This question occupies many founders – Daniel Stammler and Janosch Sadowski from Kolibri Games have found an impressive answer.

The Dream Becomes Reality

Within just five years, Daniel and Janosch achieved what many dream of: They founded a company, scaled it to over 100 employees and more than 100 million users, and eventually sold it for over €100 million to Ubisoft. In hindsight, it might all sound simple, straightforward, and predictable – but how did it really all begin?

The Beginnings in a Flat-Share

The Kolibri Games story doesn't start in a fancy office or co-working space, but quite down-to-earth in a shared apartment. This is where the foundations were laid for what would later become one of Germany's most successful gaming exits. The conditions at founding were anything but glamorous – but that's exactly what shows that great successes often begin with small, pragmatic steps.

Where Co-Founders Meet

One of the central questions for aspiring founders is: Where do you actually meet your co-founders? The story of Daniel, Janosch, and their other co-founders provides valuable insights here. Finding the right co-founders is often one of the most critical factors for a startup's later success.

The Journey Is the Destination

What many don't see: Even successful founders like Daniel and Janosch had to shut down projects along the way. The path to success is rarely linear, and failed projects are often part of the journey. These experiences and learnings then flow into the next projects and increase the probability of success.

First Episode of a Bigger Story

This is just the opening of the Kolibri Games Story. In upcoming episodes, Daniel and Janosch will dive deeper into their experiences and answer specific questions from the community. Anyone with specific questions can send them to fabian@jungunternehmerpodcast.com.

Community and Exchange

Particularly interesting: The two founders made themselves available for regular Clubhouse Talks to enable direct exchange with the community. The first talk already took place on Friday, February 5th at 5 PM – a format that shows how important direct contact with other founders is to them.

The Kolibri Games story proves once again: Great successes often begin small and inconspicuous. It's not the perfect start that counts, but perseverance, learning from mistakes, and the ability to keep going even when facing setbacks.