Upwardly mobile: How Adelaide-based app developer PixelForce became a world player

Hinney Lo was the “naughty” kid at the bottom of his class in Hong Kong. Today, he leads an innovative tech agency in Adelaide. Here is how he went from a slumping student to a high-powered CEO, backed by US social media phenomenon Kendall Toole, Australian fitness pioneer Tobi Pearce, and a 60-strong team.

“Honestly, I had no clear aspirations,” says Hinney Lo. It is a rare admission from a founder who has facilitated over $1.5 billion in client revenue and counts fitness mogul Tobi Pearce as a strategic partner. However, the PixelForce CEO’s ascent from a Hong Kong classroom, where he struggled with the “brutal” academic system, to the top tier of Australian tech has been marked with surprises. 

“My whole family, not kidding, they said I’m the naughtiest kid ever in the family. Like: ‘I don’t listen, I do things, I can’t even sit tight, I’m very different.’” As a teen, this manifested itself in long, late nights playing Helbreath, a medieval fantasy game released in 1999, and very little time studying. 

“I struggled with traditional Asian education,” says Lo. “My family sent me to Australia hoping I would learn independence and self-discipline.” What they got was something in between. Although Lo earned a Master of Design at the University of Adelaide, he continued to play games. This time, it paid off. 

“I remember I built a website just sharing tips and like how to play, the strategy, the tactics of a game back then,” says Lo. “I learned how to build websites.” Coupled with what he describes as a “liberating environment”, Lo finally found his footing. 

“I think Australia gave me space to discover my passion and strengths,” says Lo. The lack of attachment granted him a “freedom to fail”, and he thrived. With web-building skills in tow, he launched a start-up as part of his degree and then doubled down on it after completing his studies. With a garage for an office, PixelForce began to take shape. 

“Honestly, this is the moment I will give Ben [Zhang, PixelForce’s CTO] a lot of credit,” says Lo. “He is a genius from an engineering perspective.” Zhang began a little after day one, but the company still credits him as a co-founder. The pair’s dynamic was established from their first ‘business’ interaction, when Zhang answered a Facebook poke in 2013 and solved a complex coding problem in 10 minutes. 

Lo describes their partnership as a perfect “yin and yang”. While Lo focuses on product design and winning clients, Zhang provides the technical backbone, building industry-leading digital architecture. “I have never seen Ben not able to deliver anything,” says Lo. “He can build anything that I design.” 

Together, they landed their first major client: Wok in a Box. The franchise tapped Lo to build a digital rewards system, replacing clunky physical loyalty cards with a mobile app that tracked points in real time. It was a “first-to-market” innovation in the smartphone sector and, more importantly, undeniable proof of what PixelForce could do. 

‘Shoulder to shoulder’: PixelForce adds muscle 

In landing their “biggest fish”, PixelForce was fortunate, Lo says, to be in close proximity to Tobi Pearce and Sweat’s former Parkside HQ, which was a short stroll from Adelaide’s CBD. At the time, Sweat was riding huge momentum. PixelForce’s Wok in a Box success, combined with the nascent app market, enabled them to compete for the business on equal footing with larger, established agencies. 

PixelForce’s location proved vital. To ensure they were building the right product, Lo and his team eventually moved into Pearce’s office, working shoulder to shoulder with the fitness tycoon. It was a move that blurred the lines between vendor and partner, allowing PixelForce to form the digital ecosystem of what became a global phenomenon. 

“Again, we were the first to market,” says Lo. The result was a platform that topped app store charts worldwide and secured PixelForce’s reputation as a premier developer. “When you look up Sweat developer, you will find us number one on Google.” 

Transforming from a static ‘Bikini Body Guide’ PDF into a sophisticated subscription platform, the app eventually reached over 50 million users across 142 countries. It became a dominant force in the global fitness economy, culminating in a $400 million acquisition by US giant iFIT in 2021, one of the largest tech exits in Australian history. 

Through it all, PixelForce provided the engine room. While the brand exploded globally, Lo’s team ensured the technical infrastructure held firm, maintaining a 99.99 per cent uptime standard despite the massive traffic load. 

‘Here to solve problems’: Building tech that scales 

Midway through last year, that decade-long collaboration came full circle when Pearce officially joined PixelForce as a strategic investor, with the company now housing 60-plus employees. Their portfolio includes Italy’s No. 1 training app, Traininpink, Kendall Toole’s hugely popular NKO Club, and EzLicence, a driving instruction platform that has educated young motorists and facilitated over $100 million in bookings. The company’s presence across global markets demonstrates Lo’s commitment to building businesses that scale worldwide.  

Whether it is a founder launching a minimum viable product, a business looking to reinvigorate a slumping tech project, or an influencer seeking to monetise their IP, Lo says the mandate remains the same: “Our focus is building tech that works and delivers business goals.”  
 
Lo and the PixelForce team are particularly focused on the health and wellness sector and on two-sided marketplaces, using analytics to help the next generation of founders build sustainable businesses. 

“We should be using data to drive our decisions, and this is something I feel that a lot of businesses are not doing,” says Lo. “We are not just a software development house, we’re here to solve problems.” 

Lo is right at home helping tomorrow’s entrepreneurs build their own empires, as PixelForce has pioneered Launchpad, which offers grants to aspiring start-ups in the Australian tech community, fostering the industry’s future. So, does he have time for a few minutes of Helbreath, the problem-solving game that started it all? 

“I wish,” Lo says, with a laugh. “The English version is dead. It’s only available in Korea now. It’s truly history.” 

PixelForce and Tobi Pearce are currently accepting applications for Launchpad, a $1.5 million initiative to fast-track Australian startups. Ten successful applicants will receive a $150,000 grant to build their digital platform. Applications close at the end of February. To apply, visit pixelforce.com/launchpad.