Albania’s tech sector is small but fast-growing: IT services exports reached €221.5 million in 2024, Tirana is home to most of the country’s software firms, and Prishtina in Kosovo and Durrës on the coast are building their own scenes. Alongside them, a diaspora of Albanian engineers and founders, from New York to San Francisco, has built companies that now shape global technology. This guide covers the hubs, the companies, the people, and what still holds the sector back.
Albania’s Tech Sector at a Glance
Most of Albania’s tech industry is export-oriented. Companies build software, run quality assurance, and provide outsourced development for clients in Germany, Italy, the UK, and the United States, using a workforce that is young, multilingual, and costs less than in Western Europe.
| Indicator | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| IT services exports (2024) | €221.5 million | Emerging Europe |
| IT professionals | 21,000+ | Emerging Europe |
| Startups in the ecosystem | About 1,400 | AIDA |
| ICT graduates (2025) | 2,471 | AIDA |
| Average gross monthly salary, information and communication (Q4 2025) | €1,370 | AIDA |
| Government services online via e-Albania | About 95% | World Bank, AIDA |
| Corporate income tax for software producers | 5% (standard rate 15%) | PwC |
Tirana: The Center of Albanian Tech
Tirana holds most of the country’s software companies, its main universities, and its startup programs. Some of its firms date back to the 1990s, when the country first opened up after communism.
- Infosoft Systems, founded in Tirana in 1991, provides cloud migration, cybersecurity, IT infrastructure, business intelligence, and software solutions for businesses and institutions.
- Ritech Solutions is a technology company with offices in Tirana and Prishtina and a team the company puts at more than 400 people, working on AI and machine learning, cloud, the Internet of Things, product engineering, and software testing.
- Pragmatic Software is a Tirana software engineering firm offering custom development, nearshoring, QA, and cloud services, which reports more than 150 delivered projects for clients in more than 10 countries, including a digital platform for the Albanian Development Guarantee Foundation.
More Tirana software firms in the ALB Connection directory include Albania Software House, CodeVider, Intelligent Systems, Rubik Technologies, Square Software, and Wolf Technologies.
For founders, the main support organization is Protik Innovation Center, set up in 2012 by the Albanian American Development Foundation and Albania’s Ministry for Innovation and ICT, with support from USAID, Microsoft, and other partners. It runs training, mentoring, and startup programs, and has hosted events such as the NASA Space Apps Challenge in Tirana. If you are visiting the capital, see our guide to things to do in Tirana.
Durrës: The Port City’s Growing Tech Scene
Durrës, Albania’s second-largest city and main port, sits about 35 kilometers from Tirana, and the corridor between the two has become the country’s main development axis. The government is building the Durana Tech Park in Xhafzotaj, in the municipality of Durrës. It was approved by the Council of Ministers in March 2024. Under the incentive package published by the Albanian Investment Development Agency, revenues from activities in the park are taxed at 0% for 15 consecutive years, and the salaries of research and development staff are exempt from taxes for 10 years. The first phase started as a virtual park in 2025, with the physical campus planned for 2025 to 2027.
Durrës already has its own development firms. Metanow is a web and software development agency founded in 2022, with a team of 20+ working with clients across Europe. It builds websites and online stores on platforms such as Shopify and WordPress, develops custom applications, and implements Odoo ERP as an official Odoo partner, from first concept through to ongoing support.
Prishtina and Kosovo’s Tech Scene
Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008, is separate from Albania, but it shares a language and close cultural ties with Albania, and its tech sector is part of the same Albanian-language market. Kosovo’s IT association STIKK describes a sector dominated by young micro-companies, most founded after 2020 and concentrated in Prishtina. Their main export markets are the German-speaking DACH countries, the United States, and Canada.
- Gjirafa launched in 2014 at the StartupYard accelerator in Prague. Co-founded by Mergim Cahani, it grew into a search, media, and e-commerce platform for Kosovo, Albania, and North Macedonia, backed by Rockaway Capital and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation.
- AnchorzUp, headquartered in Prishtina, builds managed development teams, product design, and software for clients in the United States and Europe, and holds ISO 27001 information security certification.
- Zetta is listed in our directory as a web and mobile product studio with offices in Prishtina and Berlin.
- Trokit, co-founded by Kushtrim Sogojeva, is a creative and digital services company founded in Kosovo. Read his story in our profile of Kushtrim Sogojeva.
The Innovation Centre Kosovo, founded in Prishtina in 2012, runs the country’s best-known incubator, co-working space, and tech community center.
More Prishtina tech companies in the directory include Appdec, Clicksoft, Katrori ITS, Kosbit, and Link Plus.
Albanian Tech Hubs Compared
| Hub | Strengths | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Tirana | Most software firms, universities, startup programs | Infosoft Systems, Ritech Solutions, Pragmatic Software, Protik |
| Durrës | Port city on the Tirana corridor, site of Durana Tech Park | Metanow, Durana Tech Park |
| Prishtina | Young startup scene, export focus on DACH and North America | Gjirafa, AnchorzUp, Zetta, Trokit, Innovation Centre Kosovo |
Albanian Diaspora Tech Leaders
Some of the best-known Albanian names in technology built their careers abroad.
- Mira Murati, born in Vlorë in 1988, was chief technology officer of OpenAI and in February 2025 founded Thinking Machines Lab, an AI company in San Francisco.
- Shkelqim Kelmendi founded Housing Connector, a technology-led nonprofit that partners with property owners to connect vacant apartments with people who need housing. See our profile of Shkelqim Kelmendi.
- Dashmir Dalipi built DSS Management, a New York technology company covering managed IT, cybersecurity, cloud, and AI, with a talent pipeline in the Balkans. Read his story.
Albanian women are also a growing part of the field, as we cover in the growing role of Albanian women in technology.
Government Support and Digital Albania
Albania has made digital government a priority. Through the e-Albania portal, about 95% of public services are available online, and in 2022 the government closed most in-person service counters. The World Bank reports that requests through the portal rose by 40% between 2023 and 2025.
For businesses, the main incentive is a reduced 5% corporate income tax for companies whose activity is software production and development, against a standard rate of 15%. Durana Tech Park adds further tax breaks for companies that register there.
Challenges Facing Albanian Tech
- Brain drain: many developers emigrate or work remotely for foreign employers, and companies in Albania and Kosovo report shortages of skilled staff.
- Scale: with a population under three million, Albania has a small home market, so most firms depend on exports.
- Services over products: most revenue still comes from outsourcing, and the government’s goal is for 20 to 25% of IT exports to come from product work by the end of 2026.
- Access to finance: STIKK’s latest barometer lists access to finance and cybersecurity among the main risks facing Kosovo’s IT companies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where are most Albanian tech companies based?
Most are in Tirana. Prishtina in Kosovo is the second major center, and Durrës is growing, with the government’s Durana Tech Park being built in its municipality.
What services do Albanian tech companies provide?
Mainly custom software and web development, quality assurance, IT outsourcing, systems integration, and ERP implementation, mostly for clients in Western Europe and North America.
Are there tax incentives for tech companies in Albania?
Yes. Software producers pay a 5% corporate income tax instead of the standard 15%, and activities in Durana Tech Park are taxed at 0% for 15 years, with a 10-year tax exemption on research and development salaries.
Who are well-known Albanian figures in technology?
They include Mira Murati, founder of Thinking Machines Lab and former CTO of OpenAI, Mergim Cahani of Gjirafa, Kushtrim Sogojeva of Trokit, and Shkelqim Kelmendi of Housing Connector.
How can I find Albanian-owned tech businesses?
Search the ALB Connection directory, which lists Albanian-owned businesses in the United States and worldwide, or read how to find Albanian businesses near you.
Learn More
Continue with investing in Albanian businesses, Albanian business hubs in America, the core values of Albanian entrepreneurs, and Albanian talent as an underrated workforce.
Sources
- Code without borders: How Albania built an IT sector (Emerging Europe, 2026)
- ICT and BPO sector factsheet 2026 (Albanian Investment Development Agency)
- Durana Tech Park factsheet (Albanian Investment Development Agency)
- Albania: Taxes on corporate income (PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries)
- Digital transformation and public sector reform in the Western Balkans (World Bank, 2025)
- Kosovo IT Barometer 2023 to 2024 (STIKK)
- Pragmatic Software company website
- Durana Tech Park and TEDA Tirana briefing (bayme vbm, 2025, in German)
- DFC invests in Gjirafa (Albania Tech)
- Thinking Machines Lab (Wikipedia)
Author: Val Demiri
Valbona is an editor and writer at ALB Connection, where she covers the people, businesses, and culture shaping the Albanian diaspora. A journalism graduate of the University of Iowa, her work spans community profiles, success stories, and features on Albanian life across the US, Europe, and beyond. She is drawn to stories that celebrate Albanian achievement and keep the community connected across borders.
