Eight Bit Studios

Custom Mobile App Development Serviceseightbitstudios.com

Eight Bit Studios is a two-person Chicago and Dallas app studio that helps non-technical founders build mobile and web products, specializing in rescuing AI-generated prototypes and delivering fractional CTO plus full-stack development on monthly retainers.

Company typePrivate
Founded2009
HeadquartersChicago, United States
Headcount11–50
GTM typeB2B
OfferingServices

What Eight Bit Studios does

Eight Bit Studios is a two-person app development studio founded in 2009 by Don Bora (developer, Fractional CTO) and Steve Polacek (product and design), headquartered in Chicago with a secondary presence in Dallas. The firm helps non-technical founders build mobile and web applications, with particular emphasis on rescuing AI-built prototypes generated with tools like Cursor, Bolt, and Lovable and converting them into production-grade software. Core technology stack consists of Flutter for cross-platform mobile (iOS, Android, web from a single Dart codebase), Ruby on Rails for backends and web, Supabase for infrastructure, and Vercel for web hosting, paired with custom AI integrations using OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, AWS Rekognition, and Textract.

Service offerings span Fractional CTO leadership, MVP development, AI app development, Flutter app development, UI/UX design, and product strategy, delivered through two monthly retainer lanes: Advise (Guide and Concept modes for strategic guidance and prototyping) and Build (Core, Plus, and Pro modes for full product development), with Post-Launch Monitor and Maintain tiers for ongoing support. Pricing is fully subscription-based with no fixed-bid contracts and no time-and-materials billing; production mobile MVPs typically run $60,000 to $150,000, with AI integrations ranging from $8,000 to $150,000+. Notable client work includes Vivid Seats (whose subsequent IPO in 2021 was valued at approximately $1.9 billion), Allstate, Nielsen, Cars.com, ACCO Brands, MDRT Academy, EdNavigator, and several consumer AI products including Perfume Lens and CoGo. The firm operates as Eight Bit Studios, LLC, is privately held by its two co-founders with no institutional investment, and has made the Inc. 5000 list for four consecutive years.

Eight Bit Studios firmographics

Firmographics

Name: Eight Bit Studios
Legal name: Eight Bit Studios, LLC
Website: https://eightbitstudios.com
Company type: Private
Founded year: 2009
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 11–50 employees
Short description: Eight Bit Studios is a two-person Chicago and Dallas app studio that helps non-technical founders build mobile and web products, specializing in rescuing AI-generated prototypes and delivering fractional CTO plus full-stack development on monthly retainers.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Eight Bit Studios industry classification

Industry

Product category: Custom Mobile App Development Services
NAICS: Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Computer Systems Design Services (541512)
SIC: Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)
akta.pro primary industry: AI Application Enablement Platforms (Copilot/Agent Frameworks, SDKs) (HDAEANAJ)
akta.pro secondary industry: SDKs, APIs & Platform Integration Tools (Console/Store/Identity) (MPAFAFAJ)

Keywords

Mobile app development
Fractional CTO services
MVP development
Flutter development
AI app development

Where Eight Bit Studios is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Chicago
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

Eight Bit Studios business model

Business model

GTM type: B2B
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

Monthly Retainer Engagements: Flat monthly retainer model across two lanes (Advise and Build) with multiple modes. Clients pick a lane and mode; arrangement stays steady unless they decide to change. No time-and-materials billing, no minimum term. Pause, cancel, or switch modes anytime.

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Subscription	Monthly	Guide mode - Strategic guidance and technical R&D for founders deciding what to build
Subscription	Monthly	Concept mode - Investor-ready demos and pitch materials to test product story
Subscription	Monthly	Core mode - Trusted build partner with lean, AI-driven releases and prototypes
Subscription	Monthly	Plus mode - Enhanced communication with more contact and faster feedback loops
Subscription	Monthly	Pro mode - Full-stack product partner including brand, UX/UI, development, and go-to-market readiness
Subscription	Monthly	Post-Launch Monitor - Keep software and services up to date, investigate issues
Subscription	Monthly	Post-Launch Maintain - Full bug fixes and patches

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Eight Bit Studios product offering

Product offering

Core offering

Eight Bit Studios is a two-person app development studio that helps non-technical founders build, validate, and launch mobile and web applications. It offers Fractional CTO services, MVP development, AI app development, Flutter cross-platform development, UI/UX design, and product strategy through monthly retainer engagements across two lanes (Advise and Build). The studio also specializes in rescuing AI-built prototypes (from Cursor, Bolt, Lovable) and turning them into production-ready software.

Product overview

Eight Bit Studios is a two-person app development studio (Don Bora and Steve Polacek) offering services to non-technical founders. Their core service offerings include Fractional CTO Services, MVP Development, AI App Development, Flutter App Development, UI/UX Design, and Product Strategy. These services are delivered through two engagement lanes: 'Advise' (strategic guidance and technical R&D) and 'Build' (full product development) on monthly retainer models. The studio has shipped numerous client products across mobile (iOS/Android via Flutter), web (Ruby on Rails), and AI applications. Notable client products include Perfume Lens (AI fragrance discovery), CoGo (AI relationship guidance), Health.Vet (veteran healthcare), ScoutLogic (background screening), SitterChat (coordination platform), JShip (shipping platform), EdNavigator (education platform), MDRT Academy (learning management), Grogo (parental control), and enterprise work for Vivid Seats, Allstate, ACCO Brands, and others. The studio specializes in rescuing AI-built prototypes from Cursor, Bolt, and Lovable and turning them into production-ready software.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

Fractional CTO Services Part-time technical leadership for startups and early-stage founders. Don Bora acts as Fractional CTO providing senior technical judgment, tech R&D, architecture decisions, and development oversight without the cost of a full-time hire.
MVP Development Full product development service from idea to launched product, integrating Flutter mobile app development, Ruby on Rails backend, and design from day one. Typically $30K-$75K for MVP builds.
AI App Development Production AI app development for taking AI prototypes built with Cursor, Bolt, or Lovable to production. Includes chat interfaces, computer vision, personalization engines, agent workflows, and RAG pipelines using OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, AWS Rekognition, and Textract.
Flutter App Development Cross-platform mobile development using Flutter for iOS, Android, and web from a single Dart codebase, paired with Rails or Supabase backend for production-ready mobile applications.
UI/UX Design User-centered design services including UI/UX design, brand systems, and prototyping integrated with development from day one rather than sequential handoffs.
Product Strategy Strategic guidance for deciding what to build, including feasibility studies, roadmapping, and scoping for early-stage founders.

Quantifiable outcome

30% increase in user order conversion rate for Vivid Seats
+4 more outcomes

Companies that use Eight Bit Studios

Customer profile

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Eight Bit Studios technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

AI capability9 records

Feature4 records

Eight Bit Studios partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Eight Bit Studios competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

Thoughtbot: Boutique consultancy offering product design and custom development with a similar senior-practitioner model and retainer-based engagements. Comparable in size, positioning, and target customer (non-technical founders and early-stage teams), though Thoughtbot is larger and more geographically distributed.
Table XI: Chicago-based custom software development agency serving startups and mid-market companies. Most directly comparable peer given shared Chicago geography, similar service offering (Rails, mobile, product strategy), and overlapping target customer base of non-technical and technical founders.
Dom & Tom: Mobile and web app development studio serving startups and enterprises with full product design and development services. Comparable in product scope (mobile-first, design+development integrated) though larger team and broader enterprise footprint.
Blue Label Labs: Mobile app development agency focused on iOS, Android, and web apps for startups and enterprise. Directly comparable product offering and customer segment, with similar custom-development model and outcome-driven case studies.
Codal: Digital product agency offering mobile app development, UI/UX design, and AI integration services. Closely comparable in service mix (especially around AI app development) and target customer base of non-technical founders building first products.
Stable Kernel: Custom software development studio building web and mobile applications for startups and established companies. Comparable boutique-product-studio model with hands-on founder involvement and similar Rails/full-stack technology preferences.
Savas Labs: Boutique digital agency offering custom web and mobile development with a small senior team model. Similar in scale, boutique positioning, and emphasis on integrated design+engineering without offshore handoffs.
DockYard: Custom software consultancy offering web and mobile product development with a senior-practitioner model. Comparable service offering, retainer-style engagements, and founder-led execution approach.
Filament: Digital product studio building mobile and web apps for startups and enterprise clients. Directly comparable in custom product development model, AI integration capabilities, and target customer segment of non-technical founders.

Broad incumbents

Rightpoint: Larger Chicago-based digital consultancy offering enterprise mobile, web, and design services. Overlaps with Eight Bit Studios on enterprise clients (similar tier to Allstate/Vivid Seats) but operates at significantly greater scale with a much broader service portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Eight Bit Studios financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Eight Bit Studios leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Eight Bit Studios funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Eight Bit Studios M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Eight Bit Studios

What does Eight Bit Studios do?

Is Eight Bit Studios a public or private company?

Eight Bit Studios is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.

When was Eight Bit Studios founded?

Eight Bit Studios was founded in 2009. It employs 11 to 50 people.

Where is Eight Bit Studios based?

Eight Bit Studios is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.

How does Eight Bit Studios make money?

One revenue line is on record: monthly Retainer Engagements.

Who are Eight Bit Studios's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are Thoughtbot, Table XI, Dom & Tom, Blue Label Labs, Codal, Stable Kernel, Savas Labs, DockYard and Filament. Rightpoint is listed as a broad incumbent.

Does Eight Bit Studios have an API?

No public API is recorded for Eight Bit Studios.

What industry is Eight Bit Studios in?

Eight Bit Studios's product category is Custom Mobile App Development Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAEANAJ, AI Application Enablement Platforms (Copilot/Agent Frameworks, SDKs), with a secondary code of MPAFAFAJ, SDKs, APIs & Platform Integration Tools (Console/Store/Identity). Its NAICS code is 541511 and its SIC code is 7371.