Peter Steinberger (programmer)
Peter Steinberger | |
|---|---|
Steinberger at ClawCon 2026 | |
| Born | 1986 (age 39–40) |
| Occupation | Computer programmer |
| Known for |
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Peter Steinberger (born 1986)[1] is an Austrian computer programmer and entrepreneur. He is known as the creator of OpenClaw, an open-source artificial intelligence agent, and as the founder and former CEO of PSPDFKit.[2]
Career
During his studies in Vienna University of Technology, he established himself as an early adopter of Apple's iOS platform. In 2010, Steinberger founded PSPDFKit, which provides document processing and PDF frameworks for mobile and web applications. Steinberger eventually stepped down from his role and exited the company.[2] Following a hiatus from the tech industry, Steinberger shifted his focus to artificial intelligence and "vibe coding", to use large language models to write and execute code.[3]
In November 2025, he released an open-source project initially named Clawdbot (later renamed Moltbot, and finally OpenClaw). OpenClaw is an autonomous AI agent that interacts with users through messaging platforms such as WhatsApp, Telegram, and Discord.[4]
In February 2026, he announced he would be joining OpenAI and rejecting an offer to join Meta.[2][4][5]
Personal life
Steinberger has said he is a fan of Doctor Who.[2]
References
- ^ "Amantus Machina". www.evi.gv.at (in German). Retrieved 2026-03-18.
- ^ a b c d Roytburg, Eva. "Who is OpenClaw creator Peter Steinberger? The millennial developer caught the attention of Sam Altman and Mark Zuckerberg". Fortune. Retrieved 2026-03-13.
- ^ Chandonnet, Henry. "OpenClaw creator says 'vibe coding' has become a slur". Business Insider. Retrieved 2026-03-13.
- ^ a b "OpenClaw founder Steinberger joins OpenAI, open-source bot becomes foundation". Reuters. February 16, 2026.
- ^ Schmelzer, Ron (2026-02-16). "OpenAI Hires OpenClaw Creator Peter Steinberger And Sets Up Foundation". Forbes. Retrieved 2026-03-18.