Interview with Adrien Bacchi, the Blue-Bearded CEO of ChibiPhoenix

Can you introduce yourself to our readers?

I’m Adrien Bacchi, CEO of ChibiPhoenix, and I’ve spent the past 19 years building, scaling, and reinventing creative businesses across gaming, digital comics, and transmedia storytelling.

ChibiPhoenix is our latest and most ambitious venture, bringing together games, comics, and the creator economy into one powerful platform.

Beyond that, I have a deep passion for music, sports, and the intersection of entertainment and technology. I believe that the best IPs aren’t just games—they are full experiences that expand across media, engage communities, and become cultural movements.

In 2010 I was inspired by the Transmedia experiences of studio ANKAMA, which lead to the creation of AMILOVA. Recently, Studio Fortiche rekindled the Transmedia flame. Perhaps Transmedia is a french thing 🙂 ?

ChibiPhoenix celebrates 19 years of business this year, what achievements are you most proud of?

If I had to sum it up: survival, reinvention, and the ability to see what’s next.

Some of the biggest milestones:

• Bootstrapping ChibiPhoenix to $100M+ in sales—proving that we could scale games profitably while remaining independent.
• MANGA RPG & AMOUR AGENT—our two flagship IPs that are leading user acquisition for AMILOVA.COM.
• Selling Trixir to OnePoint Group in 2019—our experience in gamified cybersecurity training, with prestigious clients like ‘BNP THALES ENGIE’, helped us understand how games can be more than just entertainment and bring a B2B educational value.
• Creating AMILOVA.COM, our next-gen transmedia platform where games drive revenue, comics fuel engagement, and creators build the future of IPs.

The biggest win? Bringing everything we’ve learned into one ecosystem that connects games, storytelling, and community-driven IP expansion. I’m very proud of having started AMILOVA in 2010 and finally achieving a vision that started 15 years ago.

Can you explain the founding story of ChibiPhoenix?

ChibiPhoenix was born from rebellion, independence, and a taste for crazy adventures.

I’ve never been one to follow authority—I wanted to build my own path, my own rules, my own world. That’s why, from the start, I jumped into wild, ambitious projects, always chasing the next challenge.

In 2006, we built SupernovaMail (bootstrapped to $2M with just 2 friends & co-founders Alex and Laurent) and 2Fight.com, a browser-based fighting game that became an early online community. Then came Amilova (2010)—our first true transmedia experiment, aiming to merge webcomics, games, and a creator-driven platform. It was too early for its time, so we stopped development and maintained the community.

After Amilova we kept pushing. RankingHero (2012) explored social gaming, Trixir (2016-2019) brought us into serious games (leading to an exit with OnePoint Group). Each step taught us something—but the biggest lesson? Gaming is the foundation.

That’s when ChibiPhoenix (2016-Present) was born. This time, we focused on freemium browser & mobile games and cracked the formula with two games: Manga RPG, a powerhouse RPG for anime & manga fans, and Amour Agent, a romance-adventure game with a fresh twist.

Now, we’re bringing it full circle. AMILOVA.COM is back, but this time, it’s built to win.

From my perspective, games drive revenue, comics and storytelling fuel engagement, and the creator economy expands IPs into true transmedia worlds.

It took 19 years of wild rides, wins, crashes, and reinventions, but the vision never changed. We’re here to build something bigger than just games—a living, breathing universe where players, creators, and stories collide.

ChibiPhoenix is based in Sofia, how would you describe Bulgaria’s games industry?

Bulgaria’s game industry is one of Europe’s hidden gems, blending technical excellence with creative ambition. It’s home to top-tier AAA, indie, and service-based studios, including:

• Imperia Online – Strategy game specialists with a global audience.
• Haemimont Games – The team behind Tropico, Surviving Mars, and Jagged Alliance 3.
• Creative Assembly Sofia – A key Sega studio in the Total War franchise.
• Gameloft Sofia – A major mobile game development hub

Beyond development studios, Bulgaria is also a major hub for BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) and LiveOps services. Companies here manage customer support, QA, and live operations for some of the world’s biggest gaming brands, ensuring games remain engaging, stable, and profitable long after launch.

On the education side Bulgaria produces world-class game dev talent. Universities like ARC Academy specialize in game design, art, and programming, creating a pipeline of skilled developers, artists, and storytellers.

For ChibiPhoenix, Sofia offers exceptional talent, cost-efficiency, and a thriving creative ecosystem—making it the perfect base for building a next-gen transmedia gaming platform.

Last but not least it holds a strategic position on the world map, giving you easy access to powerful business zones that are far from you when you’re in London or Paris. From Sofia, you’re close to the Middle East, Turkey, Israel, and the whole central Europe which are all powerful hubs for the gaming industry!

Can you share a little about your role as Co-Founder and President of French Tech Sofia and its involvement in the European games industry?

As Co-Founder and President of French Tech Sofia, my role is to connect Bulgaria’s fast-growing gaming and tech ecosystem with the broader European and French networks. We help entrepreneurs, investors, and studios collaborate, secure funding, and expand internationally.

But it’s not just about startups—French Tech is also a bridge to France’s powerful institutional network. We work closely with government bodies, ministries, embassies, chambers of commerce, Business France, BPI (Banque Publique d’Investissement), and other key institutions to create real economic opportunities for tech and gaming businesses.

French Tech is a global powerhouse, with hubs in Paris, London, San Francisco, Tokyo, Singapore, and beyond. It connects thousands of startups, scale-ups, and investors, driving innovation across gaming, AI, fintech, and deep tech.

And in gaming? France is a European leader.

• $5B+ market size
• Over 1,200 gaming companies
• Home to Voodoo, TapNation, Madbox, Homa, Shiro Games, Motion Twin, Dontnod, Arkane, and more.

French Tech Sofia ensures Bulgaria’s gaming industry is plugged into this massive ecosystem, opening doors for funding, partnerships, and collaboration at both a startup and institutional level.

How do you approach networking and building a personal brand at games industry events?

For me, it’s about being strongly authentic and authentically strong. People remember unique, fun, and valuable experiences, so the goal isn’t just to meet people—it’s to make every interaction memorable.

But here’s the key: What happens at events is just the result of the work you put in between them.

Every event is a performance, a showcase of the progress you’ve made—mentally, physically, and strategically. That’s why I constantly push myself to become sharper, smarter, and stronger in between events. I love this idea—that every next event should feel like an upgrade, a new version of me, with more insights, more energy, and more impact.

Some of my personal networking rules:

1. Be memorable—Yes, the blue beard helps, but what matters is leaving a lasting impression.
2. Be valuable—Offer insights, make introductions, and help people win.
3. Be strategic—Know why you’re at an event, who you want to meet, and what outcomes you want.
4. Be open to surprises—The best connections often come from unexpected conversations.
5. Be present—Listen, engage, and make every interaction count.

And yes—karaoke is the ultimate networking tool. If a games industry event doesn’t have a good late-night scene, it’s missing half the magic.

What projects are you currently working on?

Right now, everything revolves around AMILOVA.COM—our next-gen transmedia platform where games, comics, and creators fuel each other. It’s the culmination of everything we’ve built over the years and is designed to scale globally.

Our leading games driving user acquisition are Manga RPG and Amour Agent. But what makes this moment truly special? We’re opening our capital.

After years of bootstrapping from $0 to $100M+ in sales, we’re finally ready to partner with strategic investors and take ChibiPhoenix to the next level. It’s a major shift in mindset; we’ve always been independent, but now, we see the opportunity to scale faster, expand our platform, and build a truly global transmedia empire.

It took time to be ready for this step, but the timing is right, the vision is clear, and we’re going all in.