The undiscovered Silicon Valley of Europe: American tech companies choose Albania News

APEL Media, a news agency in Albania dedicated an article to Mozenda. Here you can read the full article:

A small country located on the Balkan Peninsula, Albania is perhaps best known internationally for its rugged beauty and scenic riviera. While geographical and cultural proximity have long made Albania attractive to companies in Greece, Turkey, and Italy, it’s only recently that Western European and American technology companies have begun to explore Albania’s potential as a business hub.

One such company is Mozenda, a software firm founded in 2007 and headquartered near Salt Lake City, Utah. Mirgen Hoxha, a native Albanian and director of Mozenda’s Tirana office, encountered the company while studying at Brigham Young University. After becoming familiar with Mozenda’s web data extraction software, Hoxha proposed Albania as a possible site for Mozenda’s European base of operations. The company opened its first location in Tirana in November 2018, and expanded into a larger office earlier this year.

Hoxha attributes Mozenda’s success, and that of other western companies doing business in Albania, to the strength of the country’s burgeoning technology workforce.

“I think American businesses are amazed at what they find here,” Hoxha said. “They’re surprised by how much talent is available and by how advanced the technology community has become.”

Hoxha said that working for an American company provides vital opportunities for highly-educated Albanian workers to gain real-world experience.

“It’s a perfect relationship for both parties,” Hoxha said. “Our team is excited because we’re able to provide them with unique and valuable experiences. Working for an American company gives them a chance to use their education and gain exposure to the global marketplace.”

Kaleb Mangum, Mozenda’s Vice President of Sales, considers the company’s Albanian operations a complete success. “The performance has been excellent and beyond our original expectations. We’ve been able to accomplish so much in such a short time,” Magnum said. “There’s a sense of growth and excitement here that we’ve been so fortunate to tap into.”

Corey Young, President of Mozenda, said that Albania is central to Mozenda’s European strategy. “Albania presents a huge opportunity for American companies looking to grow in Europe,” Young said. “The location and the open marketplace make it an amazing place to do business.”

Mozenda’s Tirana office comprises 35 employees who work in a variety of positions from software development and technical operations to sales and marketing, and Mozenda plans to continue expanding their Albanian team.

“They’re motivated and they’re anxious to learn,” Young said. “They have excitement and they establish a culture and friendship that helps us feel like a family. We love it here.”

Read the original article: https://apel.news/eskluziv-apel-silicon-valley-i-pazbuluar-i-europes-kompanite-teknologjike-amerikane-zgjedhin-shqiperine/