Manufacturing
In 2022, in the bustling tech hub of San Francisco, two visionaries—Eric Steinberger and Sebastian De Ro—came together with a bold mission: to fundamentally transform the world of software development through artificial intelligence (AI). Their startup, Magic, is no ordinary AI company. While countless others focus on specific applications of AI, Magic has set its sights on an ambitious goal: automating software development and pushing toward the creation of artificial general intelligence (AGI). But how did two founders, each with distinct but complementary backgrounds, manage to captivate some of Silicon Valley’s top investors and secure a staggering $465 million in funding without yet launching a commercial product?
Eric Steinberger and Sebastian De Ro
Eric Steinberger’s journey toward AI innovation began at a young age. He was fascinated by the potential of artificial intelligence long before it became a tech industry buzzword. His passion for AI led him to pursue computer science at the prestigious Cambridge University, but he soon realized that academia was not the only path to achieving his goals. Steinberger dropped out and went on to work as an AI researcher at Meta, honing his skills in one of the world’s most advanced research environments. However, his ambitions extended beyond corporate AI, and in 2019, he co-founded ClimateScience.org, a volunteer-driven organization dedicated to tackling environmental issues.
Steinberger’s co-founder, Sebastian De Ro, followed a different path but one that ultimately converged with Steinberger’s. De Ro rose to the role of Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at the German business process management firm FireStart, gaining valuable experience in leadership and innovation. The two first connected through their mutual involvement with ClimateScience.org, but it wasn’t long before they realized they shared a much bigger vision: to create AI that could revolutionize the software industry.
