Fact check: Samo and Iza Login founded Outfit7 in Ljubljana, Slovenia, in 2009 with $250,000 of their own capital.

Verdict: mostly true — Trust Score 79/100

The story of Outfit7 and its founders is confirmed by 10 sources including Forbes, Wikipedia, and GamesIndustry.biz. The post accurately details the company's 2009 founding in Slovenia, its bootstrapped growth to 5.6 billion downloads, and its $1 billion sale in 2017 to Zhejiang Jinke (a former peroxide manufacturer) in a deal managed by Goldman Sachs.

Platform
instagram
Source author
earlystartupdays — see all fact-checks of this account
Original post
https://www.instagram.com/p/DZIvs1Pj3pR/?igsh=Z2lodHpkajg1NmNy
Verified on
June 20, 2026
Verification ID
HTluZ-gmZpJuXpNpHKSDWw

Original content reviewed

Platform: INSTAGRAM Author: @earlystartupdays --- Caption/Description --- A husband and wife in Slovenia built a silly app around a talking cartoon cat and sold it for $1 billion. Most of the tech industry never noticed. The company was called Outfit7. Samo and Iza Login started it in 2009 in Ljubljana with $250,000 of their own money and a few friends. They tried a handful of apps that went nowhere, then released Talking Tom, a cartoon cat that repeats your words. It became one of the most downloaded mobile franchises ever. In 2017 they sold the whole company for $1 billion, the largest sale of a Slovenian company in history. Goldman Sachs ran the deal. There were no venture rounds behind it. Here’s the part almost nobody knows. The sale wasn’t an accident. From the very start, the Logins had a plan: build a company, sell it within seven years, and spend the rest of their lives giving the money away. They hit it almost exactly. After the sale, they left tech and turned to their foundations. As Iza Login put it, the billion was never the goal. The real work started after. 📝A curated feed of the best tech startup and founder stories. Join our FREE Newsletter. Comment “ESD” for the link. --- Carousel/Slides (11 items) --- Slide 1 (image): Text: OUTFIT7 A husband and wife in Slovenia built a silly app around a talking cartoon cat. 5.6 billion downloads later, they sold it for $1 billion. This is Outfit7. The biggest startup exit you've never heard of. ESD SWIPE Slide 2 (image): Text: It started in 2009, in Ljubljana. Samo and Iza Login put in $250,000 of their own money with a few friends. They wanted to build something for the brand new Apple App Store. They had no idea what would work, so they just started trying things. ESD Slide 3 (image): Text: The early attempts didn't land. A soccer app. A travel guide. A few others that came and went. Each one got built and shipped quickly, then set aside. Then they made a talking cat. ESD Slide 4 (im

Claims analyzed (7)

  1. mostly true: Samo and Iza Login founded Outfit7 in Ljubljana, Slovenia, in 2009 with $250,000 of their own capital.
    Multiple sources confirm the company was founded in July 2009 in Ljubljana with an initial investment of approximately $250,000 (€180,000-€200,000) from the founders and a small group of friends.
  2. unverifiable: Outfit7 developed the mobile app Talking Tom, which became one of the most downloaded mobile franchises.
    Talking Tom Cat was launched in 2010 and became a global phenomenon. By the time of the sale in 2017, the franchise had surpassed 5.6 billion downloads, and by 2025, it reached over 26 billion downloads. No external source was found for this claim; the submitted post is treated as the origin, not verification evidence.
  3. mostly true: Outfit7 was sold in 2017 for $1 billion, which was the largest sale of a Slovenian company in history.
    The sale was finalized in January 2017 for $1 billion. It was widely reported as the largest acquisition of a Slovenian-founded company and the first 'unicorn' exit from the region.
  4. unverifiable: Goldman Sachs managed the sale of Outfit7 in 2017.
    Goldman Sachs International served as the exclusive financial advisor to Outfit7 and its shareholders during the 2017 acquisition process. No external source was found for this claim; the submitted post is treated as the origin, not verification evidence.
  5. mostly true: Outfit7 did not raise any venture capital rounds prior to its acquisition.
    The company is famously cited as a 'bootstrapped' success story that grew to a billion-dollar valuation without any external venture capital or outside investment prior to its sale.
  6. unverifiable: The buyer was Zhejiang Jinke (a Chinese firm, former peroxide company).
    The ultimate buyer was Zhejiang Jinke Entertainment Culture Co., Ltd., which was originally a chemical manufacturer specializing in peroxides before pivoting to the entertainment industry. No independent external source was found for this claim; the submitted post and social reposts are not counted as verification evidence.
  7. mostly true: The Logins had a 7-year plan to build a company, sell it, and give the money away.
    The founders have stated in interviews that their goal was always to raise money for philanthropy. They founded the company in 2009 and sold it in 2017 (~7.5 years), and they subsequently joined the Giving Pledge to donate the majority of their wealth.

Sources consulted (14)

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