Plovdiv is Bulgaria's second largest city not only in terms of population but also in terms of the number of outsourcing companies. That includes both information technology outsourcing (ITO) and business process outsourcing (BPO) companies. The sector employs more than 7,000 people in Plovdiv and the number is likely to grow, as outsourcing is one of the fastest developing industries in Bulgaria. A recent report of the Association for Innovation, Business excellence, Services and Technology (AIBEST) showed that outsourcing and IT companies in Bulgaria generated 3.3 billion еuro revenue in 2020, or 6.6% of the country's GDP. For comparison, their total turnover in 2019 was 2.9 billion euro, or 5.5% of GDP. The sector employs a touch above 77,000 people.
Sofia is home to most of the revenue and employees but as the labor market in the capital is overheating, more and more companies are opting for other large cities - and Plovdiv plays an important role. AIBEST data show that in 2020 there were 90 outsourcing companies in Plovdiv: 39 had their headquarters in the city and 51 had their second office there. The Plovdiv-based companies alone accounted for more than 2% of the total revenue of Bulgaria's outsourcing sector in 2020, or some 82 million euro.
1. SBTech (Global) Limited
SBTech (named DraftKings since 2021) posted a turnover of a little above 96 million levs (49 million euro) in 2020, or more than half of the total sales of the companies in Plovdiv. It had nearly 900 employees but they were not all based in the city. AIBEST's report presents it as a BPO firm, although it also provides software solutions for sports betting platforms. In April 2020 the company became part of US-based DraftKings together with Diamond Eagle.
2. Reward Gateway
Reward Gateway is a British software firm, which settled in Plovdiv in 2014. Its 2020 its revenue amounted to a touch above 9 million levs. The Bulgarian company employs some 220 people, or about half of the British firm's total staff. Clients include Blomberg, American Express, Sky, Heineken. The company operates mainly in the United States, the UK and Australia.
3. Bulanet
Now part of Gibraltar-registered Delasport, Bulanet reported 6.6 million levs revenue in 2020. The company was set up in Karlovo in 2011 but a couple of months later its headquarters were moved to Plovdiv. Delasport is a globally recognized software company that specializes in sports betting solutions. Bulanet employs about 200 people.
4. m+w MediaNetworks
Set up in 2003, m+w MediaNetworks is an outsourcing firm providing a wide range of pre-press services and web-based solutions. The company posted 5.4 million levs revenue in 2020 and had 210 employees.
5. Programista
Programista is an ITO company providing consultancy and development, implementation, training and maintenance of software systems. Its 2020 turnover amounted to nearly 5.2 million levs. The company employs 60 people.
6. SFB
SFB, better known as Speedflow Bulgaria, booked nearly 5 million levs revenue in 2020 and had about 30 employees. The company develops software for large telecommunications companies in Europe, the United States and Asia. It was established in 2015 by the Ellis family, who moved their software business from Ukraine to Plovdiv.
7. Sibiz Bulgaria
Sibiz Bulgaria is a Bulgarian-American company dealing in hardware and software development, as well as trade. Its 2020 revenue amounted to nearly 4.8 million levs. The company employed some 90 people.
8. SQA Service
SQA Service was set up in 2013. In 2020 it had 3.6 million levs turnover and some 30 employees. The company specializes in software and system testing consultancy.
9. Viscomp
Viscomp was established in 2007 by Plovdiv resident Georgi Grozdev in partnership with Germany's Euroweb Group. The company provides website development and maintenance, web hosting and internet advertising. In 2020 it booked some 3.4 million levs revenue (combining the results of Viscomp and Bulgaria-registered Euroweb) and had about 60 employees.
10. Kodar
Kodar provides ready products and software solutions to customers in Bulgaria, the European Union and the United States. The company's revenue amounted to 3.2 million in 2020. It employs some 60 people.
Plovdiv is Bulgaria's second largest city not only in terms of population but also in terms of the number of outsourcing companies. That includes both information technology outsourcing (ITO) and business process outsourcing (BPO) companies. The sector employs more than 7,000 people in Plovdiv and the number is likely to grow, as outsourcing is one of the fastest developing industries in Bulgaria. A recent report of the Association for Innovation, Business excellence, Services and Technology (AIBEST) showed that outsourcing and IT companies in Bulgaria generated 3.3 billion еuro revenue in 2020, or 6.6% of the country's GDP. For comparison, their total turnover in 2019 was 2.9 billion euro, or 5.5% of GDP. The sector employs a touch above 77,000 people.
Sofia is home to most of the revenue and employees but as the labor market in the capital is overheating, more and more companies are opting for other large cities - and Plovdiv plays an important role. AIBEST data show that in 2020 there were 90 outsourcing companies in Plovdiv: 39 had their headquarters in the city and 51 had their second office there. The Plovdiv-based companies alone accounted for more than 2% of the total revenue of Bulgaria's outsourcing sector in 2020, or some 82 million euro.
