Yaspa opens Leeds tech hub, recruiting 20 software engineers

Payments fintech Yaspa has opened a new technology office in Leeds, United Kingdom, with plans to recruit up to 20 software engineers before the end of the year.

The company, already based in Shoreditch, London, is expanding its presence in the north of England by establishing its new hub in Platform by Bruntwood in Leeds city centre. The immediate recruitment goal is to build a core team of 10 senior software engineers in the coming weeks, with an ambition to double that number to 20 backend Java developers by the end of 2025.

Recruitment and leadership

Leeds was selected by Yaspa due to the city's strong pool of software engineering talent and its reputation for experience in iGaming. The company is targeting skilled candidates with backgrounds in software development, especially those with expertise relevant to the needs of the online gambling sector.

David Turner, formerly Head of Development at William Hill and Chief Technical Officer at Glean, has joined Yaspa as Head of Engineering. Turner, who has experience growing technical teams in Leeds and introducing automated sports trading at William Hill, will oversee the recruitment and leadership of the new Leeds-based squads.

"When I heard about the opportunity to join Yaspa, it felt like the perfect role for me. I am passionate about creating a safe, supportive environment where engineers can do their best work and this role allows me to do exactly that - building a talented team in Leeds while delivering the technology to support Yaspa's next stage of growth.

"What excites me most is that Yaspa has already done the hard part. It has found its value proposition, proved it works and is now scaling. My focus will be on growing the engineering team rapidly, with the aim of having two strong squads in place by the end of the year, initially dedicated to the US proposition, while making the most of the chance to apply best practice from the start. Yaspa has the momentum, the vision and the team culture to make a real impact, and I am looking forward to helping take that even further."

Global growth

Yaspa, which specialises in payments and identity services using open banking technology and artificial intelligence, recently received USD $12 million in investment, led by Discerning Capital, to support its expansion plans. The company currently serves partners in the UK and Europe, and has incorporated a new entity in Atlanta, Georgia, indicating future intentions to open a US office.

Yaspa's solutions, grouped under its Intelligent Payments offering, are designed to help regulated businesses with real-time payments and enhanced customer intelligence. The technology is particularly relevant for online gambling firms, as it supports compliance, responsible gambling practices, and payment optimisation.

The move into Leeds is partially attributed to the city's established role within the gambling sector, which hosts major firms such as Flutter Entertainment's Sky Betting & Gaming, Paddy Power and Betfair, alongside Evoke's William Hill brands.

Facility and work culture

The new office is located just a few metres from Leeds train station and features a serviced workspace on the sixth floor, providing views over the city centre. Yaspa aims to offer an attractive working environment to support its growing team.

Yaspa's Chief People Officer, Chris Watkins, commented, "We see Leeds as the ideal location to open our second UK office, with access to a strong pool of software engineering talent. It also has a strong reputation for talent with experience in iGaming, thanks to the companies that are also located there. Our office is at a premium address, just a few metres from Leeds train station. It's a serviced office, with stunning views across Leeds centre from our sixth-floor office, coupled with amazing services to ensure Yaspa employees have the best experience possible when working onsite.

He continued, "We're growing quickly but we'll walk before we can run. The immediate goal is to get a squad of mid to senior level engineers on board. They will focus on building the US product for us. As soon as that squad is at full capacity, we'll hire for a second squad, taking us up to 20 within the year. Although we're open to remote working, we've noticed a hybrid working model offers the best collaboration for success and employee growth. At Yaspa, we're really big on culture, collaboration and transparency, so we want people regularly working together in-person."

The creation of jobs in Leeds reflects Yaspa's ongoing growth, with the company's staff numbers having increased from 15 to 70 in the past 18 months. The current recruitment drive focuses on building a team capable of supporting the company's expansion into the US market, while embedding company culture and best practices from the outset.