Vega IT opens its Dutch office, strengthening its presence in the market

The Netherlands has been part of Vega IT’s story from the very beginning. Almost 18 years ago, our very first client came from this market, shaping a relationship built on trust, shared values, and long-term collaboration.

Today, that journey reaches an important milestone as we open our office in Amsterdam. With this step, we also welcome Sjoerd van Gelderen as Managing Director & Executive Partner, Netherlands.

In this interview, Sjoerd and Sasa Popovic, Co-Founder at Vega IT, share their perspectives on the state of technology, the company’s direction in the Dutch market, and what this next chapter means for our clients.

Welcome aboard, Sjoerd. You bring an established career in the industry, while Vega IT enters this phase with a mature presence on the Dutch market. What do you see as the natural alignment between your experience and Vega IT’s direction?

Sjoerd: Throughout my career, Serbia and Serbian software engineers in particular, have been a constant thread. I co-founded a digital agency called Relephant, which later was acquired by Emakina Group, for which I was then leading The Netherlands.

In the early days, we worked for a client called Funda, the Netherlands’ largest housing platform, together with the founders of Vega IT. At that point working remote was relatively new, and to be frank, I had my doubts if we would be able to deliver. However, I was impressed with the level of implementation and technical capabilities then, but more importantly, the way of working together was really smooth.

Throughout the years, we continued working with Vega IT as a trusted delivery partner for Emakina. We grew Emakina Netherlands while Sasa and Vladan grew Vega IT, and we stayed in close contact. Eventually, this led to a partnership with Vega IT to set up Emakina.RS as a highly skilled practice for mostly commerce, which grew to more than 150 people.

What naturally draws me to Vega IT today is not history, but fit. Vega IT is a highly dynamic and entrepreneurial organisation, free from the heavy processes and overhead that often slow larger players down. That freedom creates real focus, on clients, on outcomes, and on building solutions that deliver tangible value.

The quality of Vega IT’s nearshore delivery model, its ability to attract top talent, and its clear commitment to a healthy, people-first working environment are key differentiators. Combined with a strong, accessible leadership team, this creates an organisation that is both mature and agile, exactly what the Dutch market increasingly expects from a long-term technology partner.

Sasa, we have already worked with clients from the Netherlands for years. Why did we decide to open an office in Amsterdam now?

Sasa: The Netherlands has been part of Vega IT’s story for almost 18 years. In fact, our very first client came from this market, and since then, we have worked with Dutch companies continuously, growing together through long-term partnerships and complex projects.

As Vega IT continues its global expansion, opening a physical office in Amsterdam felt like the right and honest next step. Not to start something new, but to strengthen something that already exists. By building local delivery capacity alongside our nearshore teams, we can support clients even more throughout the entire engagement, from early discussions and discovery to delivery and long-term evolution. This setup allows us to respond faster, collaborate even more effectively, and take greater ownership of outcomes, while remaining fully aligned with our clients’ business and organisational context.

Having Sjoerd lead our Amsterdam office brings an additional layer of confidence to this step. His experience, understanding of the Dutch market, and belief in close, human collaboration align naturally with how we work at Vega IT. For us, this office is not about scale alone – it is about staying true to our values while growing responsibly, together with our clients.

How do you see the current state of tech in the Dutch market?

Sjoerd: What I see very clearly, especially in the Netherlands, is a shift from experimentation to accountability. Dutch companies are pragmatic. They are no longer impressed by technology for its own sake. Instead, they expect technology to deliver measurable business outcomes, such as faster time to market, better customer experiences, and operational efficiency that actually shows up in the numbers.

At the same time, the pressure is increasing, especially around AI. Many organisations feel the urgency to adopt AI, but struggle with how to implement it responsibly and effectively. The challenges are rarely about the models themselves. They are about data quality, integration with existing systems, governance, security, and the ability to scale solutions beyond pilots. In more regulated industries, this pressure is even stronger, as innovation must go hand in hand with compliance and trust.

To achieve that, companies increasingly look for partners who understand both the business context and the technical depth required to execute. In that sense, the current state of tech is demanding, but also full of opportunity – particularly for organisations that are ready to move with clarity and intent, rather than chasing the next trend.

In the upcoming years, how do you see Vega IT leading digital transformations and providing additional value to Dutch clients?

Sjoerd: What excites me most is the kind of impact Vega IT is positioned to create for its clients in the years ahead. That impact comes from how we work, the capabilities we bring, and the way we collaborate.

On one side, we bring strong end-to-end delivery capabilities, deep domain knowledge, and a clear focus on business outcomes. With long-standing experience in industries such as financial services, banking, insurance, healthcare, and retail, we are able to engage early, ask the right questions, and help shape solutions that make sense in real business environments.

At the same time, AI is becoming a practical driver of value. Vega IT brings a set of AI-powered accelerators built on real project experience, particularly for data-heavy and document-driven processes.

Equally important is how we collaborate. In the Dutch market, we also see strong opportunities to work closely with digital agencies, combining their strengths in strategy and experience design with Vega IT’s engineering, AI capabilities and delivery expertise. This allows clients to benefit from a well-balanced partnership focused on real outcomes.

What do you expect from the Amsterdam office?

Sjoerd: Our plans for the Dutch market are ambitious, and they rely on one simple principle – get close to our clients. Local presence allows us to listen better, react faster, and engage earlier in solving real business problems. That is the core purpose of the NL office.

By building a strong onshore capability, we aim to strengthen local client leadership and delivery excellence, and to support organisations through meaningful digital change. This setup allows Vega IT to operate as a trusted partner in the Netherlands, working side by side with clients to deliver long-term value.