Continuing its global expansion, DataArt announced the opening of a new development centre in Sofia, Bulgaria, its first on the Balkan peninsula. It brings the total number of DataArt locations worldwide to seventeen.

Posting record revenue in 2015, and answering a growing demand from enterprise clients, DataArt expanded its offering to include managed support services, and opened two new centres in Poland. The launch of DataArt Bulgaria a year later is part of a strategy aimed at providing clients with best-of-breed solutions and customer care.

A major scientific, educational and cultural hub, Sofia is home to top science and technology universities and hosts a number of thriving IT communities. In addition to its academic and IT landscapes, the city has cultural compatibility with existing DataArt locations in Eastern Europe, and is easily accessible via direct flights from all major U.S. and European cities.

Headed by Viktor Andonov, formerly VP of Software Engineering at Moody’s Investors Service, DataArt Sofia is set to employ up to 120 engineers, drawing from an existing pool of highly qualified local developers and more than 3,000 technical graduates from the Sofia, Technical, and American Universities. The new office is strategically located in the city centre, occupying three floors of an ultra-modern business centre.

“I’m proud to join the growing DataArt family and to be given the opportunity by this market-leading organisation to help build a strong development operation in Sofia,” said Viktor Andonov, who now steps into the role of President, DataArt Bulgaria. “Bulgaria is known for its engineering talent and we will hire the best of the talent, providing a significant benefit to our rapidly growing client base.”

With the opening of the Bulgarian operation, DataArt’s global network of engineers in nine countries will grow to 2,200.