About
A small company with one big project.
SmileyTech began in 2019 as the name Nikola Gjorgiev put on his own products. Today it is a startup with one goal: a computer that every family can afford for their kids, simple enough for anyone, in stores in 2027. We work from Skopje, Macedonia.
- Started
- 2019
- Based in
- Skopje, Macedonia
- Working on
- Phase 1 of SmileyOS
- Team
- One founder, so far
What we believe
How we build.
A price every family can pay
A kid should not need a €1,000 computer to learn. While other systems grow with every version, we keep SmileyOS small enough for a computer that is 10 or 20 years old, and before we set the price of our own computers, we ask families what they can pay.
Children first
What we make for kids has no ads, no tracking and nothing built to keep them scrolling. What is simple enough for a child is simple for everyone.
Real tools
Children can handle real tools. SmileyOS gives them a real terminal, a real programming language and a real desktop.
Finished and shipped
DevHelper, KKSJ and Trackle.mk are in the stores today. We like products that reach people.
About me
Nikola Gjorgiev, founder.
I have built software since 2014. I started with mobile games, moved on to apps for mobile, web and desktop, and led a team along the way.
SmileyOS began in 2025 as a project for nights and weekends. I designed and wrote it from the first line: the system, the language, the apps and the games.
This is my plan and my wish. I am a big dreamer, and I believe in this story.
Where I worked
Software since 2014, at these companies.
Before SmileyTech, and alongside it, I worked as a developer and team lead. This is the full list, newest first.
Apr 2026 — now
Senior dev
AbysaltoZagreb, Croatia
Senior cross-platform engineer at Abysalto, Zagreb — shipping mobile, web, and desktop products for public administration, transport, utilities, and emergency response.
Working across the stack on EU public-sector and enterprise programs, with a focus on clean architecture and long-term maintainability.
- React
- TypeScript
- Mobile
- Desktop
Apr 2025 — Apr 2026
Senior dev
ValtechParis, France
Senior Software Developer across multiple cross-platform engagements for international clients — mobile, web, and desktop.
Shipped The Social Hub (iOS, Android, web), ShopAz.com commerce app, OpenTalk.eu conferencing clients, and an internal hot-desking tool. React, React Native, Electron.
- React Native
- Expo
- Electron
- TypeScript
2023 — Apr 2025
Senior dev
Kin + CartaLondon, United Kingdom
After Kin + Carta acquired Melon, the Sofia team continued as a Kin + Carta studio. Same cross-platform remit — mobile, web, desktop — on a wider global client base.
Senior engineering across client engagements from the London-listed tech consultancy's pipeline, until Valtech acquired Kin + Carta in April 2025.
- React
- React Native
- TypeScript
- Mobile
- Desktop
Sep 2022 — 2023
Senior dev
MelonSofia, Bulgaria
Senior Software Developer at Melon, the Sofia-based engineering firm. Worked on cross-platform product teams — the same crew later continued under Kin + Carta and then Valtech.
Delivered mobile, web, and desktop features for international clients while the Sofia office kept its local Melon identity.
- React
- React Native
- TypeScript
- Mobile
- Desktop
Nov 2020 — Sep 2022
Senior · Team Lead
DeptAmsterdam, Netherlands
Senior Developer, then Team Lead of 5 plus 12 interns during an internal traineeship.
Led React for Aruba.com (Bloomreach integration), shipped Rabo Graintell at Rabobank (deep links, push, widgets), and delivered a Euro 2020 campaign for Takeaway.com. Planning, code reviews, and technical direction across teams.
- React
- React Native
- TypeScript
May 2020 — Nov 2020
Senior dev
LokaSan Francisco, United States
Senior Mobile Developer building WithMe Health — a healthcare app with realtime chat and chatbot integration.
React Native app wired to microservices, with a focus on UI consistency, component testing, and a clean communication layer.
- React Native
- TypeScript
Jan 2020 — May 2020
Senior dev
Data2MeMelbourne, Australia
Built a dynamic survey module for a medical software platform — a configurable form builder collecting structured health data for clinical use.
Delivered a flexible, reusable UI architecture the team could extend without further frontend work.
- React
- TypeScript
Sep 2019 — Jan 2020
Senior engineer
iVoteSkopje, Macedonia
Senior Software Engineer on Demokra, iVote's flagship Elections Management System — used by governments across multiple countries.
Contributed to voter registration, results processing, and reporting modules in a high-stakes, high-availability environment.
- React
- PWA
- TypeScript
May 2015 — Sep 2019
Junior → Senior
CrazyLabsTel Aviv, Israel
Game Developer (junior → senior) across four years on a portfolio of 100+ live mobile games, reaching 4.5B+ downloads worldwide.
Led Monster High™ Beauty Shop, contributed to Hotel Transylvania Adventures, supported the Game Live Ops team on monetization and critical bug work, and mentored junior developers.
- Unity
- C#
- Mobile games
Jul 2014 — May 2015
First role
Game2BeSydney, Australia
Junior Game Developer on Next Spin Slots — a slot-machine game published on Facebook and iOS.
Prototyped mini-games, designed three bonus rounds for the second story arc, and originated much of the game design work for bonus content.
- Unity
- C#
Recommendations
What people I worked with say.
Taken from recommendations on LinkedIn.
Clean, well-structured code focused on long-term maintainability, with a deep understanding of modern front-end architecture, performance optimization, and component-driven design.
Aleksandar Kareski
Lead Backend .NET Developer at Valtech
Worked on the same team
Never afraid to try something new, and never fails to meet expectations. Friendly, willing to lend a hand, and a great addition to any team.
Predrag Koceski
Director of Engineering at Native Teams
Managed Nikola directly
He stood out distinctly among hundreds of students — an active participant with thought-provoking questions. Technical expertise paired with a positivity that is infectious.
Dr. Blagoj Delipetrev
AI @ NATO HQ
Was his teacher
One of the best colleagues to work with. When Nikola commits to something, it gets done. Always hungry to learn new tech, and quick to adapt to anything.
Petar Boshkoski
Frontend Developer at DEPT®
Worked alongside at DEPT
Not just a team lead — a pillar of support for the whole team. Proactive leadership, exceptional mentoring, and a technical powerhouse whose guidance I am immensely grateful for.
Kristina Bojchevska
Tech Lead at The Commerce Team Global
Was on his team at Dept
Enjoyable to work with, strong grasp of native development. Put in extra time on a last-minute React Native upgrade, and built tools that save the whole team time every day.
Nicholas Morrell
Engineering @ Zócalo Health
Was his mentor
Want to know more?
Write to us about SmileyOS, SBOOK Go or any of our products.