Kin + Carta enters Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Kosovo with deal

International digital transformation consultancy Kin + Carta has followed up on two US acquisitions with the scoop of Melon Group, a Bulgarian software development company headquartered in Sofia.

The deal is Kin + Carta’s third this year, hot on the heels of the acquisitions of Octain, a US-based provider of a machine learning platform, and Loop, a Chicago-based e-commerce consultancy.

Now expanding its footprint in Europe, the Melon Group deal sees a team of 300 web, mobile and data specialists in Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Kosovo join Kin + Carta’s ranks.

The bolt-on lifts Kin + Carta’s total headcount to about 2,000 and marks its entry in Southeastern Europe, where the firm plans to build a nearshore European delivery hub for software engineering business. “Expanding our nearshore production capabilities allow us to serve more clients, creating new jobs both onshore and nearshore,” said J Schwan, the chief executive of Kin + Carta.

Founded in 2003, Melon Group and its subsidiaries, including Melon Technologies and Frakton, specialises in web (.NET, PHP, Python, Java, SharePoint, JavaScript, and HTML/CSS) and mobile developers (iOS, Android, Xamarin, ReactNative), big data & machine learning engineers, devops professionals, UX/UI designers, and quality assurance engineers.

“Integrating their businesses into Kin + Carta broadens our reach and creates opportunities to learn from experts in their craft,” said Schwan.

Meanwhile, for Melon Group, the joining of forces will enable the software firm to “to make the most of the significant surge in demand for digital transformation as a result of the pandemic”, said chief executive Krum Hadzhigeorgiev. “We’re excited to be part of a global business, one that is as committed to building a world that works better – for everyone.”

Terms of conditions have not been announced. The deal is expected to close in the second quarter of 2022.