# About Koi

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Work on Koi started in late 2023.
The first usable version took about eight months to build, including an early restart.
Koi became my daily editor during development and was released publicly for macOS in 2026.

I was primarily a Sublime Text user at the time.
After looking at the new generation of AI code editors, I wanted to see what a modern editor could look like if it started with a fast, native editing core instead.

The original idea was simple: a fast text editor with built-in code completion.

Since then, Koi has evolved around what I care about most in an editor: low latency, performance, customization, and staying out of the way.

That has led to some deliberate choices.
Koi works directly with files, keeps its configuration in plain text, can be extended with Python, and doesn't require an account or an internet connection.
AI features are optional, disabled by default, and local-first.

Koi is built as an editor first.
Features are only added when they make the editing experience better.

## Built independently

Koi is designed and developed by Michael Sjöberg.

Development started as a personal project and Koi remains independently built.
I use it as my own editor every day, which has shaped much of its design: fast startup, low input latency, keyboard-driven workflows, multiple cursors and views, and minimal chrome.

Koi is currently available for macOS.

## Who Koi is for

Koi is built for people who spend a lot of time editing text and want to understand and control the tools they use.

It assumes that files should remain files, configuration should be readable, keyboard workflows matter, and powerful features shouldn't require turning an editor into an IDE.

You don't need to use AI, cloud services, an account, or a particular development environment to use Koi.

### Hackerman, Inc.

Koi is a product by Hackerman, Inc., an independent software company focused on developer tools.

**Hackerman, Inc. is privately held and independently funded.**

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[Visit hackerman.ai →](https://hackerman.ai/)