Evolution Georgia is part of Evolution Group, a global developer and supplier of online casinos that entered the Georgian market in 2017. Jacob Claesson, the firm’s head of operations for Georgia, explains the thinking behind its investment in the country and tells fDi why the local workforce is so important to the business.

Q: What are your business activities in Georgia?

A: Evolution develops and delivers product software for online gaming which is used worldwide. We have full in-house production — from product innovation to software development, and the design and construction of our studio environment. We entered the Georgian market in 2017 and started our operations there in 2018. Since then, Evolution has grown rapidly, creating significant work opportunities in the country.

Evolution Georgia is one of our largest hubs, with more than 4000 employees — most of whom work in our large broadcasting studio which airs 24/7, 365 days a year. All our studio employees are trained in our Evolution Academy, where they learn technical skills for game hosting, as well as transferable skills such as English, presenting and how to navigate a regulated work environment.

Q: What attracted your company to Georgia? 

A: Demand for our services was increasing worldwide and we needed to expand. Before entering the Georgian market, we conducted thorough research to find a suitable location for our continued expansion. We were looking for a stable, transparent and predictable business environment in which to establish our next large site. Since we are not only a technology company, but also a people company, we were searching for a place which had a large population of young, ambitious English-speaking people who were eager to start their career in an international, multicultural environment.

Q: What are the challenges of operating in Georgia?

A: The impact of Covid-19 is being felt by everyone, including us. Georgia has taken quite a strict approach, and during these unpredictable times, we’ve had to focus on our employees’ safety and the continuation of our operations. We have hundreds of additional positions ready to be filled as soon as the health protection restrictions are lifted.

We believe that in order to fight the pandemic, everyone should play their part. We want to support Georgia by offering young people jobs in a workplace with lots of safety measures in place.

Q: What are the opportunities of operating in Georgia? 

A: We’re mainly positive about Georgia’s business climate. We have great people in our teams here who are willing to develop their country and want to work for an international company. We see great potential in the local workforce, especially the young people. Many Georgians have good English and are motivated to build a career for themselves in an environment where they are both valued and listened to. From my experience, I can say that Georgians expect a lot from their employer; we’re willing to meet these expectations and do our best.

In association with Invest in Georgia. Writing and editing were carried out independently by fDi Intelligence.