---\nlocale: en\ntitle: "My Current and Past Ventures"\ndescription: "Hi, I’m Alen Malkoč — a serial entrepreneur behind HulkApps and Shop Circle, now building AI-native companies from Sarajevo."\nsummary: "Over the past decade, we’ve built, scaled, and sold businesses across ecommerce, SaaS, and AI — all with a bias toward speed, product excellence, and real-world value. From launching HulkApps and serving 100,000+ merchants, to leading the post-acquisition growth of Shop Circle, our journey has been defined by bold execution and building the right teams. Today, we’re focused on going fully AI-native — launching ventures like FlyRank and 10x, and evolving service teams like Praella and Power Commerce into AI-driven delivery engines. Our mission is simple - to help brands, teams, and platforms do 10x more — faster, smarter, and more efficiently — by leveraging automation, insight, and thoughtful design. Thanks for following the journey. Let’s build what’s next. See you around."\ntts: true\nnavigation:\n title: "Ventures"\n visible: true\n order: 3\n---\n\n::logos-list-plain\n---\nsubtitle: "From agency roots to AI-native — this is the journey."\ntitle: "Current & Past Ventures"\n---\n\nBelow is my journey across various ventures, brands, and projects. Some recent press includes coverage from [**Al Jazeera**](https://balkans.aljazeera.net/teme/2023/8/20/povratak-uspjesnog-poduzetnika-u-bih-naporan-rad-je-osnova-svega) and [**Bloomberg Adria**](https://ba.bloombergadria.com/biznis/kompanije/59837/hulkapps-inovacija-talenti-i-ai-u-odrzivoj-buducnosti-it-a/news).\n\n## 10x\n*Native AI. Real Leverage. Exponential Impact.*\n\n10x is our commitment to building the future — not around AI, but **with it at the core**.\n\nWe’re going fully native AI. That means creating tools, systems, and services designed from the ground up to help people achieve **10x outcomes** — in less time, with fewer resources, and with more clarity. This isn’t about shortcuts. It’s about scale, leverage, and transformation.\n\nAt the center of 10x is our methodology: \n**Enable teams and customers to accomplish 10x more — using the same effort — through the power of AI.**\n\nFlyRank is the first product to emerge from this ecosystem — a full-stack AI growth engine for content, SEO, and AEO. But it’s just the beginning.\n\nWe're actively evolving our two agencies — **Power Commerce** and **Praella** — into next-gen delivery engines. As part of the 10x ecosystem, they are launching a new vertical: \n##### **AI Implementation & Services** \nHelping brands apply AI across product, marketing, CX, and operations — to 10x their performance, process, and potential.\n\nFrom software to strategy, we're building a suite of tools and services that redefine what teams can do — and how fast they can do it.\n\nThis is more than a pivot. It’s a full-stack evolution toward the future of work.\n\n🚀 [10x: Coming Soon]\n\n

\n\n

\n\n## FlyRank\n\n*The AI Growth Engine for Content, SEO, and AEO*\n\nFlyRank is our latest and most ambitious venture — a platform designed to solve the growing complexity of scaling organic growth. We're building the first **Enterprise AI Growth Engine** that enables companies to generate, optimize, and manage content at scale — across SEO and AEO (Answer Engine Optimization).\n\nOver the years, we've seen teams struggle with the same bottlenecks: content velocity, ranking volatility, and the growing gap between strategy and execution. FlyRank closes that gap. It’s not just another AI writer — it’s a full-stack growth engine built for marketing teams, product-led organizations, and founders who want results, not just drafts.\n\nWith AI at the core, FlyRank helps you:\n\n- Generate high-quality, search-optimized content fast \n- Monitor rankings and content performance in real time \n- Optimize across traditional SEO and emerging answer engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini \n- Scale globally with localized, multilingual output\n\nWe're working closely with early partners and building toward a future where content creation is no longer a bottleneck — but a growth lever.\n\nThe goal? **10x your organic reach, without 10x the headcount.**\n\nThis is more than a tool. It’s a shift in how modern teams grow.\n\n👉 [FlyRank.com](https://flyrank.com)\n\nAs part of our ongoing innovation, we also operate two experimental products under **FlyRank Labs**:\n\n- [**jaqnjil.ai**](https://jaqnjil.ai): A fast, zero-friction tool for generating bite-sized SEO answers in a single click. \n- [**saasinsights.co**](https://saasinsights.co): A SaaS intelligence tracker offering real-time visibility into rankings, category movements, and SEO performance.\n\nThese Labs projects let us test bold ideas in the wild — and bring them back into FlyRank’s core engine when they prove valuable.\n\n

\n\n

\n\n## Power Commerce, formerly Wolfpoint Agency\n*Enterprise Services. Platform Flexibility. Brand-Centric Execution.*\n\nPower Commerce, formerly known as **Wolfpoint Agency**, is part of the **Praella Agency Group** — our core ecommerce solutions powerhouse.\n\nEstablished in 2016 as a certified **Shopify Plus Partner**, Wolfpoint quickly grew into one of the top-performing agencies in the ecosystem. As a **Recharge Elite Partner**, we’ve worked with some of the world’s most recognized brands — including **Condé Nast**, **Natura Brasil**, **Tula Skincare**, **Dr. Squatch**, **Martha Stewart**, **Ghost**, and many more.\n\nAs the ecommerce landscape evolved, so did we.\n\nWe rebranded Wolfpoint into Power Commerce to better reflect our broader vision: delivering solutions that go beyond Shopify. Today, Power Commerce focuses on helping brands thrive across a variety of platforms and ecosystems — including:\n\n- **Content Management Systems** like WordPress, Webflow, and Headless CMS \n- **Global eCommerce Platforms** such as Shopline and Shoplazza \n- **Enterprise Suites** like Adobe Experience Manager \n- **Custom Solutions** tailored to unique business needs\n\nWith Power Commerce, we help brands scale with agility — whether they’re building on Shopify or moving beyond it. We bring deep technical experience, creative execution, and a platform-agnostic mindset to every challenge.\n\nWe don’t just build. We power commerce. \n🔗 Visit powercommerce.co\n\n

\n\n

\n\n## Shop Circle\n*Scaling the World’s Most Complete Shopify App Stack*\n\nAfter founding and scaling **HulkApps**, we joined Shop Circle following the acquisition to help **define and expand the portfolio**. Over two years, we helped grow the company from a suite of acquired products into a 50+ app ecosystem, serving merchants around the world.\n\nMy responsibilities spanned **product, operations, tech, marketing, and M&A** — with a focus on integrating and scaling post-acquisition apps. We directly led or supported the acquisitions of 10+ Shopify Apps, including:\n\n**Eastside, Accentuate, Wholesale Helper, Aiden, 506, Bold, CartHook, Rush, Releasit, Forsberg+2**\n\nI personally hired and managed **180+ people**, built out **new divisions**, and introduced an **AI-first roadmap** that embedded automation, performance tracking, and competitor intelligence into product and growth workflows.\n\nWe’re incredibly proud of what Shop Circle became — and how Sarajevo grew into its HQ and innovation hub.\n\n![My amazing HulkApps Team](/images/gallery/image_6431acd7_74a2_4267_bd53_4527b762d5d1_f5320c1233.webp)\n\n

\n\n

\n\n## HulkApps, acquired by Shop Circle\n*From Frustration to Flagship — The Journey That Changed Everything*\n\nHulkApps is where everything truly clicked.\n\nWe founded HulkApps after leaving Empist (formerly Digerati Group), driven by a deep frustration with bureaucracy and stagnation. We didn’t want to ask for permission to grow — we wanted to build. And build we did.\n\nWhat started as a small, scrappy operation quickly evolved into **one of the largest independent Shopify app and service providers in the world**.\n\nWe grew HulkApps into:\n- **20+ apps**, **11 Shopify themes**, and **100,000+ merchants served**\n- Over **300 million consumer interactions** powered through our merchants\n- An infrastructure capable of handling **1.3 billion+ requests**\n- A globally distributed team with headquarters in **Sarajevo**, later home to **135+ employees**\n\nOur growth defied conventional agency logic. Instead of focusing narrowly on one offering, we embraced the full Shopify merchant lifecycle — from **theme development** to **custom services**, and eventually, **apps at scale**. We scaled responsibly across each channel, with strong internal teams and strategic leadership.\n\n> 📝 Read more about our approach: \n> 🔗 How HulkApps Expanded Their Business with Shopify Service Offerings\n\n---\n\n### Acquisition & A New Chapter\n\nIn **September 2022**, HulkApps was acquired by **Shop Circle**, and became its **flagship acquisition** — forming the cultural and operational blueprint that helped shape what Shop Circle is today.\n\nWe joined forces to scale faster, build smarter, and tap into a broader ecosystem of tools and talent. And more importantly, we stayed true to our mission: helping ecommerce merchants create unforgettable customer experiences, drive loyalty, and grow their brands.\n\n> 📰 Read the official announcement: \n> 🔗 A New Chapter for HulkApps\n\n::images-bento\n---\nimage1: /images/gallery/62258_heer2008_f_1_f7e93049e5.JPG\nimage2: /images/gallery/62257_jay_2771_orig_8447bc3e16.JPG\nimage3: /images/gallery/62260_heer0496_orig_d7d86cec90.JPG\nimage4: /images/gallery/Alen_Photo_01_1691941781_1_9b1832a7cd.webp\n---\n::\n\n---\n\n### People First, Always\n\nNone of this would have been possible without the people who poured their energy, heart, and hustle into HulkApps. We’re especially thankful for:\n\n**Amer Grozdanic, Chirag Desai, Gini Bandheri, Niraj Delvadia, Keval Kankotiya, Bhavya Bhavsar, Shruti Shah**, and many, many more — each of whom helped HulkApps become more than just a company. They helped shape a culture of execution, ownership, and unmatched resilience.\n\n---\n\n### Legacy\n\nHulkApps remains one of the most important building blocks in our journey. It was proof that bold bets, clear vision, and relentless action can change not only your business — but an entire ecosystem.\n\nFrom themes to services to apps, and from startup grit to global scale — HulkApps became more than we ever imagined. And it’s still growing.\n\n*We’re proud of what we built. Even more proud of who we built it with.*\n\n

\n\n

\n\n## Praella\n*Elite Strategy. Award-Winning Execution. People-First Culture.*\n\nPraella is our flagship agency — where creativity, engineering, and performance intersect. We specialize in building high-performing ecommerce experiences for the world’s most ambitious brands.\n\nAs a recognized leader in the space, we’re proud to hold several key distinctions:\n\n- ✅ **Shopify Elite Partner** — placing us among the **top 1% of Shopify agencies globally** \n- 🏆 **Webby Award Winner** — for our work on [**Billie Eilish Fragrances**](https://winners.webbyawards.com/2022/websites-and-mobile-sites/features-design/best-homepage/215651/billie-eilish-fragrances) (Best Homepage Design – 2022) \n- 🏅 **Webby Award Nominee** — for **Mark Rober’s CrunchLabs** \n- 💼 **Elite Partner** of Shopify, Recharge, Gorgias, and Klaviyo \n- 🌱 **Certified Great Place to Work** — reflecting our commitment to culture and employee satisfaction\n\nPraella is also a continuation of our core founding team — **Alen, Amer, Chirag, Niraj, and Keval** — the same group behind HulkApps. With deep experience, shared trust, and a decade-long partnership, we've carried forward our culture of execution, curiosity, and excellence into every project at Praella.\n\nAt Praella, we don’t just deliver. We co-create with clients — bringing design precision, technical depth, and growth strategy to every project. From Shopify Plus builds to retention systems, we help brands scale with confidence.\n\nWe believe award-winning work starts with a culture that puts people first — both internally and with the partners we serve.\n\n![Praella](/images/gallery/Banner_3_Transparent_8b0a3fadd4.png)\n🔗 Visit praella.com\n\n

\n\n

\n\n## CartHook, a Shop Circle acquisition\n*Rebuilt. Repositioned. Revived.*\n\nCartHook was the original post-purchase offer app for Shopify and Recharge — the one that started it all. But over time, the product lost momentum and market share, ultimately becoming a distressed asset with significant untapped potential.\n\nDuring our time at Shop Circle, we led the **due diligence**, **acquisition**, and **strategic repositioning** of CartHook. Within a few months, the app was stabilized, re-engineered, and transformed into a profitable product once again — fully integrated into the Shop Circle portfolio.\n\nA key part of that turnaround was the hustle and leadership of people like **Tarik "Sela" Selimović** (Product Owner) and **Adel Rovčanin** (Marketing Manager), who played instrumental roles in rebuilding trust with users and repositioning CartHook as a serious competitor in the post-purchase space — going head-to-head with tools like AfterSell.\n\nNotably, CartHook also became one of the **first apps to receive Shopify’s Built for Shopify badge** — a milestone that speaks to the quality, performance, and trust the team worked hard to deliver. Major kudos to **Tarik and the rest of the team** for pushing the product to that level.\n\nCartHook continues to operate under the Shop Circle umbrella, serving merchants who want to maximize checkout revenue and optimize post-purchase workflows.\n\n🔗 Visit carthook.com\n\n

\n\n

\n\n## Releasit, a Shop Circle acquisition\n*Enabling Cash-on-Delivery Growth Across LATAM & Asia*\n\nReleasit was a powerful post-purchase solution focused on enabling **Cash on Delivery (COD)** workflows for merchants across LATAM and Asia. We led the **due diligence**, **acquisition**, and **strategic transition** — which notably included replacing the founder, **Gabriele**, within just 6 months, with no disruption to the business. That transition remains one of our proudest operational milestones.\n\nWe scaled Releasit into one of **Shop Circle’s flagship products**, growing the team by 25+ people and doubling revenue **year-over-year**. We also launched a new **support and partnerships division in Colombia**, giving us a critical strategic presence in LATAM.\n\nMore importantly, we enabled a strong new generation of team leaders who continue the mission today — including **Edin Lindov**, **Muhamed Musa**, **Mehmed "Mesa" Duranovic**, and **Kenneth Montoya**, among many others.\n\n

\n\n

\n\n## Accentuate, a Shop Circle acquisition\n*From Danish Roots to Global Scale*\n\nAccentuate was acquired by Shop Circle in 2023 from **Ole Thorup**, a Danish entrepreneur who built one of Shopify’s most loved field management tools.\n\nWe were tasked with **rebuilding the full team** — including support, product, and development — and managing a series of **critical infrastructure migrations**. The transition was completed in just 6 months.\n\nLed by **Haris "Hole" Hodžić**, who continues to serve as **General Manager**, Accentuate was successfully integrated and remains one of the most technically robust apps in the portfolio.\n\n

\n\n

\n\n## Rush, a Shop Circle acquisition\n*Rebuilt Into a Scalable Post-Purchase Tracking Experience*\n\nRush was an **order status tracking app** that we acquired and successfully integrated into the **HulkApps Order Status Tracker (OST)**.\n\nWe led the **due diligence**, **strategy**, and hands-on team deployment that helped stabilize and migrate Rush merchants into a **more reliable, scalable solution** under the HulkApps brand.\n\nSpecial thanks to **Mario Peshev** (former CEO of Rush) and **Admir Saheta** (one of our core developers), who were instrumental in the transition and platform merge.\n\n📰 Read the acquisition announcement\n\n\n

\n\n

\n\n## Eastside, a Shop Circle acquisition\n\n*Quick Turnaround, Long-Term Growth*\n\nWe worked with **Jason Stokes** from Eastside Co to acquire two of their core apps — **Easy Redirects** and **Back in Stock** — marking the **first post-HulkApps acquisition** where the HulkApps team took full lead on the transition.\n\nBig kudos to **Shailesh Desai** and **Tarik "Sela" Selimović** for leading this project from both the product and technical sides. After their transition to other roles, the torch was carried by **Anes Mehovic** and **Tarik Lilic**, who continue to drive growth.\n\nDespite a **tight one-month transition window**, our team executed a full handover, ensuring these apps remained strong contributors to the Shop Circle portfolio.\n\n

\n\n

\n\n## Bold Commerce, a Shop Circle acquisition\n*Complex Transition. Scalable Impact.*\n\nAs part of our acquisition work at Shop Circle, we partnered with Bold Commerce to acquire key products including **Bold Product Options**, **Bold Loyalty Points**, and **Bold Store Locator**.\n\nThis was one of our most technically demanding acquisitions, requiring the setup of a **dedicated support, product, CX, and engineering team** — largely based in Bosnia.\n\nShoutout to **JP Tretault**, **Harun Fazlagić**, **Arijana Ibrović**, and **Seid Korać**, along with many others, who helped transition and scale these complex applications.\n\nToday, they remain **cornerstone apps within the Shop Circle portfolio**, continuing to thrive on the Shopify App Store.\n\n

\n\n

\n\n## Seapixel \n*Small Studio. Sharp Ideas. Special Projects.*\n\n**Seapixel** is a boutique venture studio focused on building technical frameworks and supporting high-impact, special projects behind the scenes.\n\nFounded alongside **Evan Skoulikaritis** — a close friend and long-time collaborator — Seapixel has been a creative playground for experimentation, problem-solving, and custom app development. Evan continues to lead custom product initiatives through Seapixel today.\n\n> 💡 Fun fact: We quietly sold [**FluidFramework.com**](https://fluidframework.com) to Microsoft — a lesser-known, but proud moment in our journey.\n\nSeapixel may be small by design, but its impact is woven into many of the tools, systems, and frameworks we’ve helped bring to life across our portfolio.\n\n

\n\n

\n\n## Lumia Marketing Agency, acquired by Empist\n\n*From Email to eCommerce — Built for Growth, Acquired for Impact*\n\nAfter exiting Optyn, we took everything we had learned — from building SaaS platforms to scaling email marketing solutions — and returned to our core mission: helping merchants grow. That’s how **Lumia** was born.\n\nWe originally launched as an email marketing agency but quickly pivoted to support the rapidly expanding **Shopify ecosystem**. The timing was right — and so was the focus. We began working with some of the fastest-growing DTC brands like **MVMT Watches**, **Argo Tea**, and **Gramovox**, driving results through full-funnel marketing: web, email, social, and beyond.\n\nLumia evolved into a full-service **Shopify Web Development and eCommerce Growth Agency**, combining UX, development, and performance marketing into one tight team. We had the privilege of becoming the **first official Shopify Plus Partner**, supporting some of the most influential brands still thriving on the platform today.\n\nIn **2016**, we were **acquired by Digerati Group**, a digital consultancy that would later rebrand into **Empist**. The acquisition enabled our team to scale capabilities within a larger ecosystem, while still maintaining our mission of driving meaningful growth for ecommerce brands. I signed a three-year agreement as part of the acquisition — but didn’t last more than one, triggering an early exit clause. The good news? That’s how **HulkApps** was born.\n\n📰 Chicago Inno: Digerati Group acquires Lumia \n📰 Empist Celebrates 25 Years\n\n

\n\n## Optyn, acquired by CDS\n*Email Marketing Made Simple for Small Businesses*\n\nOptyn was an email and social media marketing platform designed from the ground up for small businesses. At a time when less than 4% of SMBs were using email marketing tools, we saw a massive opportunity: the existing platforms were built for power users — not for the busy local merchant trying to stay afloat. Optyn changed that.\n\nWe built a simple, image-based platform that allowed merchants to launch professional campaigns in under two minutes. No blank canvases. No complex tools. Just guided, proven templates that worked — and a product that held your hand the whole way. With a few clicks, a small business could re-engage its entire customer base and see measurable results.\n\nBehind the product was a battle-tested founding team: we had already built and exited Dealer, which sent millions of emails per day to over 10,000 businesses. That experience, combined with insights from running local brick-and-mortar shops ourselves, shaped Optyn’s usability and vision. Together with Louis Morales (COO) and Gaurav Gaglani (CTO), we built the platform and scaled a team of eight developers to deliver it to market.\n\nOptyn didn’t just gain traction with customers — it attracted partners. We launched a white-label strategy with platforms like E Street, giving 1,500+ restaurants the ability to promote offers directly from their dashboards. That distribution-first approach helped us scale and paved the way for what came next.\n\nIn **October 2014**, Optyn was **acquired by Central Data Storage**, marking a successful exit and proving the demand for SMB-first marketing tools. \n📄 Raised $309K — view funding history \n🎥 View our pitch to the gener8tor investor community from Summer 2013\n\n::lite-youtube\n---\nvideoId: "MGhfUU8IUtw"\nalt: "Optyn presentation at gener8tor Milwaukee Summer 2013 Launch Day"\n---\n::\n\n📰 Acquisition Coverage: \n- Milwaukee Business Journal - gener8tor grad Optyn Acquired \n- Chicago Inno - Central Data Storage acquires Optyn \n- GM Today- gener8tor Company Optyn Acquired\n\n

\n\n

\n\n## Dealster, Acquired by nCrowd\n*Scaling Daily Deals Through Self-Service Technology*\n\nAfter the acquisition of Chitown Deals, we had a simple but bold insight: do it again — but do it better. That idea led to the creation of **Dealster**.\n\nWe acquired the domain for $10,000 — a serious commitment back in 2010 — and launched Dealster with a new approach to local offers. Instead of replicating the Groupon model, we built a **self-service platform** that allowed merchants across the U.S. to create, manage, and publish their own deals.\n\nThe model worked. **Dealster quickly scaled to serve customers in over 25,000 cities and towns**, becoming one of the largest daily deal sites in the market at the time.\n\nThat growth caught the attention of **Half Off Depot**, which acquired Dealster in **April 2012**. \n📰 PR Newswire - Half Off Depot acquires Dealster. \n📰 Atlanta Business Chronicle - Half Off Depot picks up Dealster\n\nOur entire team joined Half Off Depot, which later rebranded as **nCrowd** during a wave of roll-ups in the space. We took the Dealster platform and evolved it into the **core technology stack behind nCrowd**, helping power thousands of deals and millions in transactions. At its peak, **nCrowd became the #2 player in the daily deals industry**, right behind Groupon.\n\nDuring our time at nCrowd, I also co-authored and led the filing of a **patent for group buying technology** that enabled smarter targeting and retention strategies. \n📜 WO2014186385 - Customer Targeting, Acquisition, and Retention Platform and Method\n\nDealster’s evolution from a bold idea to a nationally recognized platform laid the groundwork for many of the commerce and performance marketing systems we’ve built since.\n\n

\n\n

\n\n## Chitown Deals, acquired by Tippr\n*Coupons, Daily Deals & a 2010 Exit*\n\nChitown Deals was one of our very first startup ventures — born out of the economic uncertainty following the 2008 Recession, when consumers increasingly turned to savings and smarter spending.\n\nThe first version of Chitown Deals launched through a partnership with **Coupons.com**, delivering curated weekly coupons to Chicago-based subscribers. As the appetite for local deals grew, the platform evolved into a full-blown **Daily Deal marketplace** — enabling merchants to create and promote their own offers directly to nearby customers.\n\nAt its peak, Chitown Deals became the **second most popular daily deal site in Chicago**, trailing only Groupon. Its rapid growth and local traction caught the attention of industry players, and on **June 1, 2010**, Chitown Deals was officially **acquired by Tippr**, expanding their national footprint to 10 U.S. markets.\n\n📄 Tippr.com Expands Chicago Presence with Acquisition of Chitown Deals; Tippr Now Operating in 10 U.S. Markets\n\n

\n\n::

Articles tagged with "branding"

Consciously® Earns 2025 Indie Agency News Design Award