Deel makes first on-the-ground appearance in Bulgaria, spotlighting the region’s growing role in global AI hiring
As global demand for artificial intelligence (AI) talent continues to soar, Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) is attracting renewed interest – not only from investors but also from infrastructure players enabling distributed work at scale. Among them is Deel, the global payroll and HR platform valued at over $12 billion. The company made its first regional appearance at the Digitalk + AI conference in Sofia, Bulgaria, signaling a more intentional entry into the CEE tech ecosystem.
For Deel, which serves over 35,000 customers in 150+ countries and achieved a $1 billion run rate in just 5 years, CEE represents a rare opportunity in an increasingly saturated global landscape: significant untapped potential and an urgent need to build internationally distributed teams.
AI Demand Is Reshaping Global Hiring Patterns
At Digitalk AI 2025, Deel presented exclusive data from its platform highlighting the acceleration in AI-related hiring. Over the past year:
- AI and data roles facilitated through Deel increased by 60% year-over-year
- The number of organizations hiring for AI positions rose by 59%
- Senior roles such as “Head of AI” and “Director of AI” tripled in volume globally
- In just the first two months of 2025, Deel facilitated more AI-related contracts than in all of 2023
While the United States continues to lead in AI hiring volumes, Deel pointed to emerging growth centers such as Canada, India, and key European regions – including CEE – as critical players in the evolving AI talent landscape.
CEE Startups Are Scaling, but Complexity Remains
Ivan Valev, who leads Deel’s expansion in CEE, emphasized the pace at which regional startups are building global-facing teams. “Speed is the main driver for growth,” says Valev. “Startups know this – you can’t afford to slow down.”
From fintech innovators in Romania to SaaS scaleups in Bulgaria and the Czech Republic, startups are increasingly hiring across borders – something that was an operational challenge just a few years ago. However, regulatory complexity, varying tax codes, and inconsistent legal infrastructure across CEE continue to hinder seamless cross-border hiring.
Deel’s platform aims to minimize that friction, allowing companies to hire full-time employees or contractors in over 150 countries without setting up local entities. For CEE startups looking to onboard talent in Toronto or São Paulo – or for global companies hoping to tap engineers in Sofia – the value proposition is operational clarity and speed.
Bulgaria’s Moment in AI
According to Dealroom, the CEE startup ecosystem is now valued at €243 billion, a 25% increase since 2022. While Poland leads in overall value, smaller markets like Bulgaria and Romania are experiencing faster relative growth. In 2023, Bulgarian startups raised €264 million – four times more than five years ago.
Bulgaria is also making bold AI infrastructure investments. Sofia is home to INSAIT (the Institute for Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence and Technology), which recently partnered with the EU to develop a €90 million AI supercomputing facility. The country also launched BgGPT, the first large language model trained on the Bulgarian language.
Despite this momentum, challenges remain. Many startups excel in engineering and research but lack the scalable operational systems required for global hiring. Deel’s platform is designed to address that bottleneck.
From Outsourcing to Global Building
Historically, CEE has been viewed as a source of outsourced technical labor for Western companies. That perception is shifting.
Today, founders across the region are building product-driven companies and assembling international teams to power global growth. Deel’s expansion is a testament to this transformation—from a region of service providers to one of global innovators.
“AI is still early. Not everyone is an expert, but everyone is hiring. The companies that move fastest now will define the next few years.”
