US-based asset finance technology firm Odessa said it has opened an office in Serbia's capital Belgrade and appointed Milos Adzic to lead its global client services.Odessa has long had an engineering and support centre of excellence in Asia. It is now adding a second such center, located in Serbia, to serve clients across all time zones, Odessa said.

Prior to joining Odessa, Adzic spent ten years as head of client engagement at asset manager BlackRock. At Odessa, he will serve as senior vice president of enterprise customer support, the statement read.

The company's new office in Belgrade currently has a dozen employees, as Adzic is looking to triple their number by the end of 2024.

Odessa is a software company focused on the leasing industry and the developers of a platform dedicated to asset finance. Odessa has a workforce of more than 1,000 people who service asset finance companies globally. It offers an end-to-end solution for lease and loan origination and portfolio management, with the Odessa Platform providing feature sets such as low-code development, test automation, reporting, and business intelligence to ensure organisations can more effectively align business and IT objectives.

Source: SeeNews

DP World is boosting its bet on Romania’s future as one of Europe’s nearshoring winners, particularly in automotive supply chains.
The Dubai-based port operator and logistics company in June announced €130 million ($141 million) in investments aimed at boosting cargo volumes by 2 million metric tons a year and linking Romania with the rest of Europe via seaborne and overground trade.

The company, which has operated in Romania for 20 years, said its latest investments include:

• A 12-acre terminal in Constanta for heavy and large freight and a new vehicles terminal there with peak capacity of 80,000 vehicles a year
• A €21 million logistics hub connecting rail and trucks on 20 acres in the industrial interior near Aiud in Transylvania
• Another €50 million expected for a new multi-transport platform in Constanta set to open next year.

“Automotive firms are also increasingly investing in neighboring Hungary and Poland and nearby Turkey, making robust supply chains and logistics infrastructure such as the ro-ro terminal increasingly essential not just for Romania, but for the surrounding region,” DP World said in a statement.
Romania has had one of the fastest economic growth rates in the European Union in the past two years, but sluggish demand from western European partners is taking a toll. GDP advanced by only 0.1% on annual terms in the first quarter.
The nation is also the biggest facilitator for Ukraine's grain exports, securing the transit of more than 60% of exports from the war-torn nation.
The government has boosted investments in the Constanta port as it seeks to increase its capacity and become a regional trade hub after being partly admitted into the visa-free Schengen air with its maritime and air borders.

Amazon Games has opened a new game development studio in Bucharest, Romania, expanding Amazon’s commitment to developing and publishing games.Amazon Games today announced it has opened a new game development studio in Europe, based in Bucharest, Romania. The studio expands our commitment to developing and publishing games as it joins the ranks of existing development teams in Orange County, Montreal, San Diego, and Seattle. The new studio will focus on supporting Amazon Games’ diverse portfolio of games now and in the future.
“Amazon Games is focused on developing and publishing great games, and we have an ambitious long-term roadmap in front of us,” said Christoph Hartmann, VP of Amazon Games. “Expanding our internal development teams into Europe was a natural next step for us as we tackle our broad portfolio. Bucharest is known as one of the top emerging European cities for game development and we look forward to tapping into the rich talent pool.”
Amazon Games has hired industry veteran Cristian Pana to lead the new studio in Bucharest. Cristian brings more than 20 years of experience building video games, most recently serving as the Managing Director at Ubisoft Bucharest. His experience spans some of the industry’s biggest games and franchises - including Tom Clancy’s The Division, The Crew, Far Cry, and Avatar - and diverse genres including driving games, action adventure open world games, and other role-playing games (RPGs).

“I’m thrilled to join Amazon Games at a time when the team is actively building across an exciting roadmap,” said Cristian. “I’ve built and led outstanding teams in the past and I know this area of Europe is a hot spot for some of the very best talent in gaming.”
The new studio supports Amazon Games’ vision of developing and publishing games that foster community in and around its games. The expanding portfolio from Amazon Games includes two launched live-service games, New World and Lost Ark, announced projects including Tomb Raider, The Lord of the Rings, and Throne and Liberty, as well as unannounced projects from our San Diego and Montreal studios, and the independent studio Glowmade in the UK.
Amazon Games is hiring across a variety of disciplines, and key open positions at the new Bucharest studio include Software Developers, Artists, Designers, and Animators.

“Infinity Cloud Technologies debuts its expansion in Europe, not only in Romania, with new office space, increased power capacity and network options.

Given Infinity’s strategic position along key long haul fiber routes and location in Dubai and many other locations, worldwide, our data center is well positioned in Sema Parc, for continued IT infrastructure services growth, serving the growing demand for server rentals, cloud applications and hosting services.” said Zekeriya KELCE, CEO of Infinity Cloud Technologies.

Cembra's growth in Latvia is driven by its continued transformation of its banking operations in Switzerland.

“Cembra Latvia is a financial technology and service hub, owned by the listed Swiss bank Cembra. We are committed to authenticity among our people and excellence in our services," says Meryem Okluoglu, Managing Director of Cembra Latvia and an experienced professional in driving digital transformations, leading M&A programs, and establishing a cohesive corporate vision.

BlueMonks, a specialist in KYC/AML services, is expanding its operations to Vilnius, Lithuania, with the opening of a new office in June 2024. This expansion is set to create up to 20 highly skilled new jobs over the next two years, bolstering the company’s capabilities to serve its European clients. 
BlueMonks was founded in 2020 by Robert van Asch and Mark van Wijk, both with more than 20 years of experience in the financial industry. It is the product of their combined vision. The company offers a comprehensive end-to-end Know-Your-Customer (KYC) solution, assisting clients in onboarding and reviewing their customers according to the strict European Anti-Money Laundering Directive (AMLD). The company follows a unique hybrid approach, combining tools, human capital, and comprehensive services to fully unburden clients. 

According to the company’s founders, Lithuania was chosen for its strategic location, robust digital infrastructure, and supportive labour regulation. The country’s growing tech sector and availability of skilled professionals in the fields of KYC and AML make it an ideal location for BlueMonks’ new office. Additionally, the Lithuanian government’s initiatives to support the AML/KYC market and favourable business environment further influenced the decision. 

"Expanding to Lithuania is a strategic step for BlueMonks. The vibrant tech ecosystem and the availability of highly skilled professionals here are perfectly aligned with our growth strategy. We are excited to bring our innovative solutions closer to our European clients from our new base in Vilnius", said Robert van Asch, Co-owner and Managing Director of BlueMonks.

In the first six months, BlueMonks plans to establish its office and start hiring its initial employees, including a local Team Lead to support the KYC/AML team in the Netherlands for international clients.  

After receiving the Account Information Service (AIS) Provider license, the financial data intelligence platform Bud Financial (Bud) is expanding its team in Lithuania. Established in Vilnius last year, Bud’s Lithuanian office will become one of the company’s hubs for technical and risk roles, powering its growth in the region and across Europe. 

In mid-July, the Bank of Lithuania granted Bud Financial an AIS Provider licence, which will allow the company to work with financial institutions in Lithuania and other countries of the European Economic Area (EEA), opening up new markets for the company.

"We’re excited to bring our AI-powered personalised banking platform to Europe and work alongside some of the most dynamic players in the financial industry [...] This licence is more than a regulatory milestone. It’s a chance for forward-thinking European banks and fintechs to work with Bud and make a real difference to their customer experience, and their bottom line, by making the most of otherwise underutilised customer data", said
Edward Maslaveckas, Co-Funder and CEO of Bud.

London-headquartered Bud was founded in 2015 as a financial education platform for consumers. Quickly pivoting to B2B data intelligence services, today Bud is an AI-powered platform used by global banks and fintechs to turn transactional data into rich customer insight.  

"Our platform leverages AI, machine learning, and natural language processing technologies for in-depth analytics [...] With over 50 billion transactions processed, our intelligence helps clients hyper-personalise their customer experience, create impactful marketing to win greater share of wallet, and manage credit risk more effectively", said Tadas Miniotas, Engineering Director and Bud Lithuania CEO.

Today, Bud has around one hundred employees across the UK, US, and Lithuania. The company anticipates growing in Vilnius, in line with regulatory requirements and commercial traction in the region. Bud has already hired technical and compliance team members in Vilnius and will boost its footprint in the region further with additional compliance talent, as well as hires in data analysis and commercial functions.   

Amazon Games has opened a new game development studio in Bucharest, Romania, expanding Amazon’s commitment to developing and publishing games.Amazon Games today announced it has opened a new game development studio in Europe, based in Bucharest, Romania. The studio expands our commitment to developing and publishing games as it joins the ranks of existing development teams in Orange County, Montreal, San Diego, and Seattle. The new studio will focus on supporting Amazon Games’ diverse portfolio of games now and in the future.
“Amazon Games is focused on developing and publishing great games, and we have an ambitious long-term roadmap in front of us,” said Christoph Hartmann, VP of Amazon Games. “Expanding our internal development teams into Europe was a natural next step for us as we tackle our broad portfolio. Bucharest is known as one of the top emerging European cities for game development and we look forward to tapping into the rich talent pool.”
Amazon Games has hired industry veteran Cristian Pana to lead the new studio in Bucharest. Cristian brings more than 20 years of experience building video games, most recently serving as the Managing Director at Ubisoft Bucharest. His experience spans some of the industry’s biggest games and franchises - including Tom Clancy’s The Division, The Crew, Far Cry, and Avatar - and diverse genres including driving games, action adventure open world games, and other role-playing games (RPGs).

“I’m thrilled to join Amazon Games at a time when the team is actively building across an exciting roadmap,” said Cristian. “I’ve built and led outstanding teams in the past and I know this area of Europe is a hot spot for some of the very best talent in gaming.”
The new studio supports Amazon Games’ vision of developing and publishing games that foster community in and around its games. The expanding portfolio from Amazon Games includes two launched live-service games, New World and Lost Ark, announced projects including Tomb Raider, The Lord of the Rings, and Throne and Liberty, as well as unannounced projects from our San Diego and Montreal studios, and the independent studio Glowmade in the UK.
Amazon Games is hiring across a variety of disciplines, and key open positions at the new Bucharest studio include Software Developers, Artists, Designers, and Animators.

BlueMonks, a specialist in KYC/AML services, is expanding its operations to Vilnius, Lithuania, with the opening of a new office in June 2024. This expansion is set to create up to 20 highly skilled new jobs over the next two years, bolstering the company’s capabilities to serve its European clients. 
BlueMonks was founded in 2020 by Robert van Asch and Mark van Wijk, both with more than 20 years of experience in the financial industry. It is the product of their combined vision. The company offers a comprehensive end-to-end Know-Your-Customer (KYC) solution, assisting clients in onboarding and reviewing their customers according to the strict European Anti-Money Laundering Directive (AMLD). The company follows a unique hybrid approach, combining tools, human capital, and comprehensive services to fully unburden clients. 
According to the company’s founders, Lithuania was chosen for its strategic location, robust digital infrastructure, and supportive labour regulation. The country’s growing tech sector and availability of skilled professionals in the fields of KYC and AML make it an ideal location for BlueMonks’ new office. Additionally, the Lithuanian government’s initiatives to support the AML/KYC market and favourable business environment further influenced the decision.

"Expanding to Lithuania is a strategic step for BlueMonks. The vibrant tech ecosystem and the availability of highly skilled professionals here are perfectly aligned with our growth strategy. We are excited to bring our innovative solutions closer to our European clients from our new base in Vilnius", said Robert van Asch, Co-owner and Managing Director of BlueMonks.

In the first six months, BlueMonks plans to establish its office and start hiring its initial employees, including a local Team Lead to support the KYC/AML team in the Netherlands for international clients.