Yes, we did it again. Opinov8 has been named Top AI Company in Europe at the 2025 Netty Awards, marking our second major recognition in two years from one of the most respected names in digital innovation.
Entry Title: Engineering the AI Future on a Strong Data Foundation
Category: Tech – AI Company of the Year (Europe)
Result: Winner (Gold)
In 2024, we were honored as Best Software Development Company in Europe. That award recognized our engineering strength. This year, it’s all about how we’re using AI to solve real problems for real businesses.
Being named Best AI Company in Europe is a major validation of how we're building the future of enterprise tech," said Craig Wilson, Co-Founder and CEO of Opinov8. "Our approach to AI is grounded in real-world impact, client trust, and bold innovation. This recognition reinforces that we're on the right path.
This award reflects why Opinov8 was named the Top AI Company in Europe 2025 — it’s about real outcomes our clients experience when we bring AI into their ecosystems. Not as a buzzword, but as a working, scalable, human-centered solution. Whether it’s helping logistics platforms predict demand more accurately, or building automation that saves healthcare providers time, the common thread is impact.
The Netty Awards shine a spotlight on companies that blend innovation with execution. We’re proud that our approach — practical, flexible, and always focused on value — continues to stand out.
Our teams across Europe, the Americas, and Egypt are already on to the next big challenge. But for now, we’ll take a moment to celebrate — and say thank you to our clients, our partners, and every Opinov8er who helped make this happen.
Let’s keep building what's next.
Opinov8 has been shortlisted for the Best AI Company in Europe at the 2025 Netty Awards. This recognition highlights the work we’ve done alongside our clients to bring real, business-driven AI solutions to life.
The Netty Awards are among the most prestigious recognitions in the digital space, celebrating companies that push boundaries in technology, design, and innovation. To be nominated in the AI category reflects the tangible results we’ve achieved through real-world projects — solutions that use artificial intelligence to solve complex business challenges, at scale.
This isn’t our first time on the Netty Awards radar. In 2024, Opinov8 took home the title of Best Software Development Company in Europe, a win that acknowledged our engineering strength and delivery excellence. Being shortlisted again — this time for our AI expertise — is a powerful sign that we’re not only evolving, but also delivering value where it matters most.
Why were we shortlisted? It was the work we’ve done on the ground, helping businesses harness AI to solve specific challenges. Whether building predictive analytics systems, deploying intelligent automation, or enabling faster decision-making with smart platforms, our focus has always been practical, responsible, and user-first.
Winners of the 2025 Netty Awards will be announced later this year. Until then, we’re proud to be recognized among the best — and more motivated than ever to keep building the future of AI.
With teams across Europe, the Americas, and Egypt, Opinov8 partners with companies worldwide to deliver future-ready tech. This nomination is a strong signal that we’re on the right path — and we’re just getting started.
Fill in the form below — let’s talk about what we can build together.
Opinov8 have been named the Best Software Development Agency in Europe at the prestigious Netty Awards.
The Netty Awards honor top innovators in the digital world, showcasing the best in technical expertise, creativity, and groundbreaking solutions. This recognition underscores Opinov8’s role as a leading force in the software development space, helping businesses across Europe transform their ideas into reality.
Netty Awards recipients are selected based on a number of factors including creativity, technical proficiency, innovation, and overall excellence in the respective field. This win affirms the hard work, innovative thinking, and unwavering dedication we bring to each of our projects.
Opinov8’s work spans multiple industries, including healthcare, logistics, retail, and automotive, with a strong focus on product and platform development. Leveraging cutting-edge tools like AI and generative AI, Opinov8 delivers solutions that address real-world challenges while maximizing efficiency and minimizing costs.
Cristian Aaen, co-founder and CTO of Opinov8 states: "This award shines a spotlight on Opinov8’s innovation and technical prowess. It’s a nod to our ability to stay ahead of the curve in a rapidly changing industry."
"This recognition reflects not just our technical expertise but also our commitment to creating meaningful partnerships with our clients," said Craig Wilson, co-founder and co-CEO of Opinov8. "Our success is built on understanding client needs and delivering innovative, tailored solutions that truly make a difference."
Beyond technical innovations, Opinov8 has established software development centers in Egypt and Colombia, enhancing its ability to deliver exceptional services to European clients. These centers expand the company’s talent pool and operational flexibility, ensuring high-quality solutions tailored to the specific needs of clients in Europe and beyond.
Looking ahead, Opinov8 has ambitious plans for global expansion, aiming to bring its expertise to new markets and continue driving transformative impact for clients worldwide.
Cyber threats evolve at an unprecedented pace, so staying ahead requires more than robust defenses. It demands innovative, modern solutions that adapt to change, scale effortlessly, and offer a user experience that meets contemporary standards, driving the modernization of security practices.
This was the challenge faced by a German developer of security platforms. Renowned for its certified Security-as-a-Service platform, the company specializes in protecting digital business processes. However, as their platform aged, the need for a comprehensive overhaul and modernization became evident. Opinov8 stepped in to transform their legacy system into a future-ready platform, delivering a solution that set new standards in scalability, usability, and security.
Modernization was essential for enhancing the platform's performance and ensuring its longevity in a rapidly changing digital landscape.
The client’s web application, initially built on Angular 1, had reached its limits. Angular 1, or AngularJS, had long since been declared obsolete, with no updates or community support to rely on. This lack of support hindered the platform’s ability to scale and evolve alongside the growing demands of its user base.
Moreover, maintaining and improving the application required skills that were no longer widely available. The outdated technology created a gap that made innovation difficult. Compounding these issues was an outdated user experience—one that no longer aligned with modern usability standards, frustrating users and affecting overall satisfaction.
To remain competitive in a rapidly changing cybersecurity market, the client needed more than incremental improvements. They required a complete modernization of their platform to ensure scalability, maintainability, and an improved user experience capable of supporting future growth.
To address the client’s challenges, Opinov8 undertook a complete redevelopment of the application, leveraging a modern tech stack that included React, TypeScript, Next.js, and GraphQL. This approach ensured the platform was scalable, maintainable, and equipped to support future growth.
A reusable UI Kit was designed and developed to establish visual consistency across the platform. Each design element was carefully reviewed for alignment with the client’s style guide, ensuring a cohesive and professional user experience. This approach enhanced both development efficiency and user satisfaction, setting a strong foundation for modernization.
Opinov8 developed a modern, intuitive web platform that empowered the client’s customers with essential tools. Users gained the ability to set up SSL certificates, configure DNS settings, and access comprehensive analytics and statistics. Advanced features like complex permission handling and front-end validations were seamlessly integrated, ensuring secure and efficient interaction for users at all levels.
The redevelopment extended to backend modernization, with Opinov8 building a proxy backend layer powered by GraphQL. This new layer streamlined API communication, offering greater flexibility and efficiency for integrations.
To support data-driven decisions, Opinov8 enhanced the platform’s analytics tools using Elastic data. This included the development of a robust analytics module, enabling interactive charts and PDF generation for clear, actionable reporting.
To meet diverse branding requirements, Opinov8 added white-labeling functionality, allowing the platform to be easily customized. This feature enabled the client to tailor the platform’s appearance and functionality to align with varying brand identities, offering added flexibility and market adaptability.
By combining technical innovation with user-focused design, Opinov8 delivered a fully modernized platform that exceeded expectations and set a new standard for scalability, usability, and maintainability.
Opinov8’s modernization efforts yielded transformative results, addressing the client’s challenges while laying the groundwork for future success.
This modernization not only revitalized the client’s platform but also positioned the company as a forward-thinking leader in the cybersecurity industry.
At the heart of this project was a strong partnership between Opinov8 and the client. A dedicated team of seven professionals, including five developers, one graphic designer, and one QA lead, worked collaboratively to address the client’s needs. Opinov8’s agile methodologies, characterized by transparent communication and iterative development, ensured alignment with the client’s goals at every step.
Challenges were addressed proactively, with swift adjustments and seamless integration of team members to maintain progress and deliver results. This collaboration underscores Opinov8’s commitment to not just solving technical problems but delivering solutions that drive tangible business value.
Our new Enterprise Modernization Report offers practical insights from real-world successes, highlighting strategies that drive measurable results. It’s a guide for organizations ready to embrace change and thrive.
Opinov8 is thrilled to announce that we have been named among the Top 1000 Global Service Providers of 2024 by Clutch, the leading global platform for B2B service provider ratings and reviews. Out of over 350,000 companies worldwide, Opinov8 has been recognized for our dedication to innovation, client satisfaction, and exceptional service delivery.
The Clutch 1000 List honors companies that excel in four critical areas:
This recognition reaffirms our commitment to driving business transformation, building value for our clients, and providing impactful technology solutions.
At Opinov8, we are proud of the long-standing partnerships we have built and the success stories we’ve created with clients across industries. This achievement highlights our team’s hard work and also the trust and collaboration of our valued clients.
To explore the full Clutch 1000 List of 2024 honorees, click here.
Opinov8 is thrilled to have been named to the 2022 International Design Awards’ Honorable Mention and Official Selection list in the Web Application category.
Each year, the IDA recognizes legendary design visionaries globally. The recognition was for FinApp, one of the Opinov8 CX design team’s case studies created. Being recognized by such a reputable organization as the IDA DESIGN AWARDS motivates us to work harder and be even more creative.
Founded in 2007, the IDA DESIGN AWARDS’s mission is to celebrate smart and sustainable multidisciplinary designs from across the world. Today it’s a highly regarded organization that recognizes and promotes “exceptional design visionaries”. Celebrating its 16th year in 2022, the IDA announced winners in five disciplines: architecture, interior design, product design, graphic design, and fashion design. We’re honored that the IDA recognized our work and excited to walk you through our award-winning project.
To implement one of our case studies, we created a conceptual vision of FinApp, a smart financial companion for everyone. The app’s core concept is to provide users with a simple overview of their financial situation, using smart data algorithms to categorize earnings and spending and identify hidden costs in their spending habits. As a result, users gain insights into their financial health, enabling them to make better decisions and achieve more financial autonomy.
The app helps users track their savings, investments, and bill payments, and it keeps them up to date on changes to their credit scores. The app also makes the experience feel as simple as possible, providing users the ability to make payments on the go and to freeze or unfreeze a credit card instantly.
Our design concept was driven by the goal of making a stand-out app with bold and vibrant design, but at the same time to avoid distracting users’ attention from its core function: tracking savings and investments. We paid special attention to UI trends, which we emphasized with slightly aggressive aesthetics, making sure the design would leave a lasting impression. To achieve this result, we used vibrant colors with large clickable areas and unified all pages with a common theme to encourage users to act.
Every day, our team is delighted to be able to do what we love, so it’s particularly gratifying for our work to be recognized. The IDA DESIGN AWARDS is an incredible milestone for us, but it’s definitely not our final destination. We have so much more to explore and create, and we couldn’t be more excited about what tomorrow will bring.
February 24, 2022, is one of the darkest days for all Ukrainians and residents of Ukraine. The whole country woke up at 5 am from the deafening sounds of explosions, shootings, sirens, and calls from family and close ones.
On this day, russia launched an unprovoked full-scale war against Ukraine and attacked from multiple directions after several weeks of building up troops on the country's border. Horrific russian atrocities continued for almost six months and caused immense grief and suffering to innocent civilians.
But all this time, the Ukrainian people are continuing the heroic resistance and showing the world what incredible bravery is. The entire world is in awe of their resilience, strength, and compassion. Ukrainians have become the bravest nation in the world. Today all humanity knows that bravery is to be Ukrainian.
The war united Ukrainians and friends around the globe. Millions of people are helping whatever they can. Opinov8 and every team member, along with the Ukrainian people, are courageously standing for their freedom, fighting on battlefields, in cyberspace, supporting the Ukrainian army and civilians with finance, safe transfer, temporary places to stay, blood donation, medicine, food and other supplies for those who need it, and just helping each other hold on.
Opinov8 is systematically involved in helping the army and the country. In addition, Opinov8rs develop their own volunteer initiatives. Since the 24th of February, they have been combining several jobs, expanding their regular work activities to help civilians and defenders of Ukraine. We have collected some of their inspiring stories. Every volunteer has an incredible story to tell. In this edition, we will share two stories about life during the war from our volunteers from abroad, who before the war were outside of Ukraine or left later during the first weeks of the war and volunteered from there.
It so happened that on the eve of February 24, my family and I went on vacation to Amsterdam. That early morning my father called me and told me all the horrific news. That day was tough, like for all Ukrainians, even though we were far from home. 😔
We began to worry about all our relatives and friends who stayed at home. And started to think and plan how to get our parents out of Kyiv because no one knew what to expect and what could happen. But it was extremely difficult.
Sometimes it is hard to persuade Developers or Project Managers to do something, but it turns out that our parents are much more challenging.
On the first day of a full-scale war, we formed the Opinov8 Emergency Team, which included our team members who were permanently located and living in Europe. Since I also was in Europe at that time, I quickly joined them.
Part of the team was engaged in internal communication with our Opinov8rs to help them with information and everything possible that we could do.
Together with our managers, I kept in touch with our clients, who also needed communication and clarification, as the situation was difficult and uncertain. They were also worried about our people and their teams and offered help and support. We are very grateful and appreciate it very much.
Since we decided to stay with my family in Europe for a while, I started thinking about how I could be useful here and how I could help my country.
Opinov8 is inspired every day by Ukrainian, who demonstrate incredible strength and bravery. Discover some of our Ukrainian team members' inspiring stories, who develop their volunteer initiatives and help Ukraine in whatever they can.
I believe that no significant initiative can be done by one person. Significant initiatives within the company require the involvement of the whole company. Significant initiatives within the country require the involvement of the whole country.
I thought, what can I do well, what am I good at, and how can I help? I have a car, I am the champion of Ukraine in racing, so I know how to drive a car quickly and safely for a long distance. Also, my professional experience and my skills played an important role. I can negotiate, I can research, I can knock out discounts, and so on.
The volunteering chain is long and rapidly changing:
By not having a single piece of this chain, I realized that I needed to focus on one-three points to which I have the skill and ability because doing everything would have been extremely difficult and super ineffective.
It seemed quite logical to join existing charity funds with the established chains. I didn't have any direct or even indirect contacts with any, so started looking for charities and foundations to learn what they are doing and how they support Ukraine right now. After a couple of failed attempts to get a response through the social media account, through my acquaintances in the media, I found contacts of one of the largest non-governmental aid funds that help the Ukrainian military.
My first contact was a PR manager to whom I explained how I could help, what resources I had, and invited to matchmaking against the needs of that moment. I received a huge list of needs, and everything was needed in large quantities.
Being very far from the military area, the top priorities on the list was basically a set of incomprehensible gadgets and strange new words at that time for me. 🙄 And absolutely no idea where and how to find this, especially given the urgency of the maters. Somewhere at the end of the list, I noticed the first familiar words, among others containing sleeping bags, sleeping pads, flashlights, phone chargers, etc. I thought that's what I probably could find! But again, I have been told that everything is needed in large quantities.
I had local connections with a company that was involved in the wholesale trade of non-food products. And they quickly offered some of the things that were on their list. And in very large quantities, like, thousands and tens of thousands for some items. Ok, the first two pieces in the chain.
All this stuff needed to be delivered to the fund's warehouse in Poland, but my car was not big enough to fit thousands or even hundreds. While checking who would rent me a trailer for a reasonable amount and right to drive it cross-country, I saw guys under my house who just had a trailer that would suit me perfectly! I quickly ran up to them and started explaining the urgency of the matter and all the related details. As you can imagine, regardless of their sympathy for the situation, they didn't give their trailer to a stranger who appeared from nowhere. 🙃
Simultaneously, I was also thinking about renting a small bus/van or cooperating with someone who is already in the game. Sharing the question with friends gave quick results, and I've got contacts of a local volunteer who "has a minibus and does the volunteering".
I was and still am amazed how within just a couple of hours, I got an agreement and immediate willingness to help from her. Actually, there was an opportunity for me to drive that mini-bus with the humanitarian help to Poland and refugees back to the Netherlands.
The story with the fund evolved a bit, and it appeared that thermal scopes, night vision devices, binoculars, and digital radios were in higher need, and budgets were to be prioritized for these over the simple things.
After the first cycle of purchases for the fund, the mutual trust was established, and we could extend the collaboration. At that moment, Motorola radios were very difficult to find because volunteers bought up almost everything from the online and offline shops.
And after several failed attempts to find at least something on the stock in online stores, I thought, who better than Motorola knows where their radios could be found? 😏 And after they refused to provide me with insights on availability, I got the contact information of every official reseller in the Netherlands and started writing to everyone asking what they had. Some have ignored me, and some responded that there would be no stock at least until September, but several companies actually had so much-needed radios, and with a couple of them, we established long-lasting relationships and delivered many items already. ✊
That's how, little by little, we established the whole buying process with the right suppliers. As of now, I have been involved in buying hundreds and hundreds of radios, thermal and night vision devices, drones, and others.
Also, I regularly tried to help individuals with their needs, such as finding or buying some devices, body armor, or other stuff, and delivering them. But it appears to be much more difficult. Hopefully, with other volunteers here, we will soon establish regular car delivery, but that's only in the proof of concept stage now.
It wasn't easy at first because you didn't know what to grab and where to start. Volunteering takes a lot of time. In addition to volunteering, I also continued to do my daily work in the company. But if you want to help — you should help.
Volunteering itself is very disorganized, no one knows what goes where. But I think that's how it should work. I have a metaphor that:
Volunteers are like partisans. It is impossible to fight them down because no one knows who they are, what they are, and what they will be doing.
But everyone is united by a common goal and value, for which they all continue their work. I think that it's impressive. ✊
It's nice to know that you bring value and can be useful. It's nice to see when someone sends you pictures of things you helped them to find and buy.
Also, helping to transfer fleeing from the war people is definitely motivating. Of course, it really is difficult, and the long journey of 1500 km one way certainly tires everyone. 🙁
But it was nice to see how people could catch their breath for a while and feel safe in a calm and peaceful place. It's especially great to see how the children reacted and how they started running and playing calmly again. I hope this calm and peace will be back to all our homes in Ukraine soon. 🙌
Like everyone else, I hope our victory will come soon. We have a lot of work to do. We all need to rebuild our country and make it even greater! 💪
Together we are strong, and together we will definitely win! 💙💛
I am the kind of person who can't stand aside when something terrible happens. My career has almost always crossed somehow with volunteering. But, I do not position myself as a volunteer. For me, volunteering is a big word. These are those who do it professionally and systematically, who have all logistics processes in place, have permanent donors, and so on. So, I just help professionals. 🙌
A long time ago, in my past life, before my career in IT, I was a journalist. I am from Donbas and worked extensively in that region. I worked for public television, later became a freelancer, and started working as a fixer from 2014 to 2018. The fixer is someone, often a local journalist, hired by a foreign correspondent or a media company to help them to collect information for the story.
At the same time, I worked in various non-governmental organizations and helped children who lived in the front-line territory. I also took care of an orphanage in Kramatorsk because this is my hometown. There I became a temporary guardian of the girl who lived there. We are still very close.
Before the full-scale war, I continued to help other orphanages and support different volunteer initiatives connected with the war in Donbas. My husband is a soldier and fought in the ATO (Anti-terrorist Operation zone on Ukrainian territory of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions) from 2014 to 2019, so he knows exactly what is needed. It happened so that I started to help my husband, our friends, and their friends.
My husband and I, like most Ukrainians, were not ready for this. It seemed like a crazy idea to us. We constantly discussed this situation before with our friends, and no one believed this could happen too. Therefore, we did not pack our stuff and did not stockpile food for an indefinite period, although I did have such thoughts just in case.
I even begged my husband to fill up a full gas tank in the car, but we didn't, which he later regretted. But, my husband, due to his profession, is always collected, and all his military equipment is on high alert.
We woke up at 5 o'clock in the morning from our friend's phone call. A bit later, we heard loud explosions in our Ivano-Frankivsk, as well as in all other cities of Ukraine. 😔 After that, my husband joked and said:
Probably, our children will not go to school today.
My husband was supposed to go to his brigade, but since he could not refuel the car before, he spent almost a whole day in traffic jams at gas stations. It was quite complicated to catch up with them. So he stayed in Kyiv, where he joined the National Guard of Ukraine to defend Kyiv. Now he is in the east of Ukraine defending our country there. 💪
I stayed with the children and waited for my relatives from Kramatorsk. It was dangerous for them to stay there. Because after the recent years of events in Donbas, we knew that staying there was quite risky. My two sisters came to me first, then my parents and other relatives. I have a large family, and somehow, we all decided to go to Poland. To this day, I wonder if it was the right decision, but when you have children, elderly parents, and other relatives (there are 9 of us here now), you are already not only responsible for yourself.
I am very impressed by how united people all over the world, especially Poles, and how are helping Ukrainians. Particular gratitude to the big Mozdzierz family, who welcomed all my relatives and became our second family in such a tough time. I just do not have enough words to thank them. ❤️
A special thanks to our Opinov8rs, who extended a helping hand to me in many ways, with volunteers and me personally. I am very grateful to all our Opinov8rs who helped and continue to help. Thanks to our teammates' donations, we bought one of the most expensive purchases to this date - a DJI Mavic 3 drone and Kia car for my husband's unit! ✊
Special thanks to our Christian (Opinov8 Co-founder, Chief Technology & Operations Officer), who met us in Poland and helped us in every possible way. And also, my huge thanks to our incredible Christiana (Opinov8 Recruitment Lead), who helped to take my aunt and her child to the train station and later my grandmother in Kyiv during those first dark days.
I know we have such people at Opinov8 who are always ready to help. That is very valuable and incredible. 💙
After the start of a full-scale war, I thought of helping as a fixer in my free time. Recently I have been helping one foreign group. They were looking for various war crimes of russians. We were in the Kyiv region (Bucha, Gostomel, and Borodyanka cities) and also traveled to Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia.
They wanted to go further to the front line, but I refused because it was hazardous. Сurrently, the situation is so different and complicated, and it is not at all like it was in Donbas. So, foreign journalists are often refused right now because none of the locals want to mess with that, as it is very dangerous.
I also helped to find the victims of the Kramatorsk railway station attack. The strike killed 59 civilians (including 7 children) and wounded more than 110 on 8 April 2022. It is a very painful incident. This happened as the crowds were "waiting for the first train" to be evacuated to safer regions in central and western Ukraine ahead of an expected massive russian offensive in the east. When, all of a sudden, two missiles hit near the railway station building.
I found a little girl with her pregnant mother, they died on the spot. It turned out they themselves lived close to the DNR (Donetsk People's Republic), and they tried to get through Kramatorsk to a safer place. I found their family and helped collect money for the burial. 😔
When I came to Poland, I started sending humanitarian aid. We live relatively close to the Ukraine border, about 100 km, so I collected various things for soldiers. I help with medicines (hemostatic and antipyretic agents, etc.), clothes (backpacks, shoes, etc.), military equipment (thermographic cameras, etc.), and so on.
I try to buy all necessary things online, but sometimes it is challenging to find something, as our volunteers emptied all military stores in Poland. Often I encounter delivery problems or wait for confirmation from suppliers, which is disappointing. It stresses me out because I know this stuff is in need right now, and every minute is essential. Besides my full-time work in the company, I try to be helpful all the time.
There are no days off during the war. Everything can change in one minute.
I arranged the logistics process and got to know the locals with cars or buses. Together we delivered all those humanitarian aid to the Ukraine border. Also, I got in touch with some friends and teammates from other countries and cities. So, little by little, we can find something that is in need there.
In addition, I continue to help to fundraise for my friends and their community. Since something often breaks or burns down in war, I regularly help with collecting funds and purchasing what is needed.
I know that only together can we do more. Every little bit helps, and that is impressive. 💙💛
Honestly, I'm not planning anything yet. For me, the most important thing is that my husband comes back alive. And everything else can always be made. 🙌
Unfortunately, I think that this war will last for a long time, and of course, the victory will be ours. But the main thing is that we should remember:
The expense of what our victory will be, as every step towards victory takes place at the cost of the lives of our loved ones and close ones.
Opinov8 is a company with a deep connection to Ukraine.
Although we were founded in London, and our headquarters are in the UK, our heart (and main office) and roots of the Op8 team are in Kyiv. We have been successfully operating, growing, and developing together with Ukraine for over the past five years. Most of our Opinov8rs are Ukrainian and call Ukraine home.
Horrific Russian atrocities are causing immense grief and suffering to all Ukrainians and residents of Ukraine.
All our Opinov8 family has joined their efforts to help each other and the whole Ukrainian people with finance, safe transfer, temporary places to stay, and other supplies for those who need them.
Everyone wants to do their best to support those forced into tragic circumstances. We firmly believe that every Ukrainian and all friends of the country will bravely and courageously fight to the end and do everything possible for the heroic victory of Ukraine.
We had ceased our operations in Belarus, closed our office, and stopped all investment, hiring, and business development activities there in the first weeks of March. Our Op8rs in Belarus have been offered the ability to relocate to other geographies and were fully supported along the way. We stand against the government of the countries that support the Russian aggressor and their actions.
We didn't stop working all these dark days as long as our Op8rs could, as personal safety comes first.
This is one of our ways of taking care of our people. Our way of supporting the army and economy of Ukraine in this difficult time.
We are very grateful to all our clients and partners who have expressed support for our associates and continued our business relationships.
We ask you to continue supporting and caring for the people of Ukraine. Whatever help you can offer, whether by speaking up and raising awareness about the war in Ukraine, volunteering, peacefully protesting, or donating money.
Follow and use the #StandWithUkraine hashtag on your social media to indicate your support! Together we are strong! Together we will win!
Do you know how to grow a company with 200+ employees worldwide from a bold idea that started in a garage? At Opinov8, we can proudly say we do!
Meet Opinov8 Co-Founders Craig Wilson, co-CEO | Commercial, and Christian Aaen, co-CEO | Technology. Though their daily responsibilities are diverse, their friendship and shared vision have built a strong partnership, as well as a thriving global software development company.
In this interview, they share how Opinov8 began, the exciting milestones along the way, and the philosophy that drives the company today.
Craig Wilson (CW): I remember the moment clearly — it was in the Holiday Inn where we discussed the concept. We both wanted to do something different from what we were doing before.
‘Opinov8’ means having an opinion on innovation. We both have strong opinions, and having an opinion on innovation was the core of what we wanted to do. We wanted to apply that to how software and products are built. Not just sitting back and taking instructions, but becoming a true Technology Innovation Partner — using Opinov8 as a platform to create real business value for clients.
Christian Aaen (CA): We believed that the market needed a more holistic approach to what was traditionally known as “outsourcing”. We wanted to place business objectives at the center of every client relationship. Technology is an enabler, but business strategy should drive the solution. That principle became Opinov8’s DNA.
(CW): Ukraine was a natural choice. Christian lives in Kyiv, and we had both worked in the Ukrainian market for many years. Despite global challenges, Ukraine remains our center of gravity and a source of exceptional talent.
(CA): The reason why I ended up in Ukraine is obviously because of the highly skilled engineers and a culture that feels very close to what I knew growing up in Western Europe. Those remain the strongest reasons for our continued commitment to Ukraine.
(CA): Our journey began in April 2017 — in a small office above a garage. Yes, just like Google (laughs). Our very first client came through a friend, part of the classic ‘three F’s’ — friends, family, and fools.
As we've been in the business for so many years and in the industry, we have a good network — a network we have cherished and built up over many years. We have almost broken our backs to not disappoint. So, yes, a good network is really what got us going.
We saw it as a chance to start with a blank slate. From our experience in larger organizations, we have witnessed the limitations of older, on-premise legacy systems that struggled to scale in a fast-changing business environment. We didn’t have that burden. Instead, we could take full advantage of cloud-native infrastructure, scalable applications, and modern digital platforms, creating a foundation that could grow as fast as the business itself.
You are bound to run into trouble if you are not thinking through the entirety of the business (not only the business model but also the operating model).
You need to have long-term strategic glasses on, and you need to be bold.
One of our earliest commitments was to prepare for remote work. We said: “In five years, Opinov8 should be ready to manage 40% of our people working remotely.” That mindset was built into our systems, investments, and processes from the start. And then, in March 2020, the pandemic made us 100% remote overnight — a challenge, but also validation of our remote-first, time-zone optimized delivery model.
We had the opportunity to do things right — without legacy slowing us down — and that was incredibly exciting. Just as important, we wanted to build an organization that could scale sustainably, with no single point of failure, ensuring resilience and long-term growth.
(CW): I remember sitting with Christian one summer, sketching ideas on a piece of paper as we thought about our branding and positioning.
In our previous roles, we had seen organizations where the culture was tied too closely to the leadership. The company revolved around a few individuals, creating an ecosystem dependent on them. We knew we didn’t want that. Our vision was to build a company where the culture belonged to the organization and its people, not just its founders. Opinov8 had to be able to operate with us, but also without us — without creating bottlenecks or negative dependencies.
That day, while sitting on a sunny terrace, we outlined our six core principles. They remain as true today as they were then, guiding how we work and grow. From the beginning, we wanted Opinov8 to have a clear cultural identity — something people could connect to and believe in. Just as systems and processes are critical to scaling a business, so too is creating a strong and authentic innovation-driven company culture.
(CA): We had many entertaining and informal conversations at the beginning, but the real turning point came when Craig and I were both involved in bringing private equity investment into the company where we previously worked. That experience was a mental milestone — it showed us what we did and didn’t want to replicate in our own venture.
In those organizations, we often saw too much focus turned inward, with competing internal interests distracting from the real priorities. This kind of behavior shifts attention away from market dynamics and client needs.
At Opinov8, we made a conscious decision to do the opposite. Every day, we work hard to maintain a client-centric, market-driven focus, ensuring that our energy goes into creating value for both our people and our clients. That philosophy is not just a mindset; it’s embedded in our company's operating model and organizational culture.
(CW): The hardest part in the early stages is that you truly live and breathe every step you take. Every challenge feels personal and emotional.
It’s not just a job — it’s your family, your future, your entire universe. When something goes wrong (and many things do), you take it personally and work tirelessly to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
Growing a company is never easy. Finding the right people, attracting top talent, and keeping them engaged are among the toughest challenges. And those challenges don’t disappear with time — they remain part of building and scaling a successful business every single day.
(CA): Another big challenge in the early days was finding the right partners to collaborate with. When you’re starting out, you take everything personally — every detail matters, and every decision feels critical. In the beginning, it was tough. We handled everything ourselves, from basic operations to complex delivery — a true full-cycle startup experience!
Today, it’s easier because we’ve built a strong, capable team that can share responsibilities and tackle challenges together. But those early struggles taught us resilience and the importance of the right people and partnerships.
(CW): One of the biggest challenges we faced together came when COVID-19 hit. Unfortunately, we had to say goodbye to some very talented people, which was an incredibly difficult decision.
At the same time, we made the choice to sell our operations in Spain, allowing us to sharpen our strategic focus. It was a true test of resilience — navigating uncertainty, adjusting our strategy, and then quickly pushing forward again.
Getting through that period was one of the toughest parts of our journey, but it also reinforced our ability to adapt and grow stronger as a company.
(CA): But it also helped us realize that we had built an organization where our core team stood by us through the hardest times — as well as the good ones. We got to know each other on a deeper level, and true trust was built. When challenges hit, how people respond says a lot about their character.
It wasn’t just us as business owners worrying about our families, our investment of time, and the future of the company — everyone across Opinov8 felt the pressure. Yet, working through those moments together strengthened the bonds within our team, creating a foundation we can continue to build on.
My sister once told me: ‘the sum of problems is always the same’. I think there’s truth in that. I still worry about many things, but they no longer feel as fundamental or life-threatening as they did back in those first months of the pandemic.
One of the biggest reasons is that we’ve built a team and culture that truly cares about the company as much as we do — and that’s something I’m incredibly proud of.
(CW): We’re proud of many things. Above all, I’m proud that we support and nurture over 200 Opinov8rs and their families around the globe. With our HQ in the UK and development centers in Ukraine, Egypt, Colombia, and across the EU, we bring together worldwide teams that unite diverse talents and perspectives to deliver innovation without borders. Watching individuals grow and achieve extraordinary things has been one of the most rewarding parts of building this company. I’m proud that they have chosen us to be part of their journey.
When it comes to client engagements, we fight like Mike Tyson. We step into the ring with focus, strength, and determination — and deliver results that many larger companies would struggle to match.
What makes us different is the talent and mindset of our people. Our innovators bring their own perspective — what we call that “extra 10%.” It’s more than just writing code, it’s the way they think, supported by the freedom they have within our philosophy, systems, and processes.
We’ve built a balance: structured and consistent systems, but with enough space for creativity and innovation. That freedom within a framework is our secret sauce, and it’s what adds real value for our clients. It’s also what makes me most proud of Opinov8.
(CA): Yeah, I totally agree. As the German-American economist Theodore Levitt once said: ‘Organizations exist to enable ordinary people to do extraordinary things.’ For us, that means combining people and skills in a way that allows individuals to have a greater impact than they ever could alone. That is the environment we believe we’ve created at Opinov8.
Another thing I’m proud of is our authentic culture. We don’t pretend to be perfect — we are people, and we are open about it. When challenges arise with clients, we face them directly and fix problems transparently. That honesty makes us different, and it’s something I truly value.
We also hold a simple but powerful principle: we never over-commit and under-deliver. When we commit, we follow through with everything we have — towards our clients and towards our people. Doing what we say and saying what we do may sound basic, yet it’s a core belief that defines who we are and how we build trust.
Be curious and driven to explore new horizons and technology areas with us. Let's innov8 together!
#bebold #behuman
At Opinov8, the top software company, we're committed to building long-term value for our clients — and that commitment hasn’t gone unnoticed. In 2020, we were named one of Clutch’s Top 100 Fastest Growth Firms and Top 100 Sustained Growth Companies. We placed eighth globally — our lucky number, but also a reflection of the consistent outcomes we’ve delivered in complex digital transformation projects.
“We are thrilled to be recognized as one of the fastest 100 Global Companies by Clutch. I am proud of the opinov8 team and all the hard work that has gone into this disrupted year!" — Craig Wilson, Co-Founder, Opinov8
Clutch is a trusted B2B ratings and reviews platform used by enterprises around the world to find reliable technology partners. Their rankings are based on verified client feedback, market presence, and delivered results. Being listed isn’t just an honor — it’s a benchmark of operational excellence and client trust.
In a landscape where tech vendors come and go, sustained growth and trust-based partnerships stand out. This recognition reflects more than just speed; it confirms what makes a top software company — resilience, quality, and a relentless focus on delivery.
Our consistent 5-star rating on Clutch, including endorsements from C-level executives like the CTO of AB Dev Labs, highlights our ability to scale delivery while keeping quality intact. Whether it’s enterprise-grade applications, platform development, or complex integrations — our clients know we deliver.
A Track Record of Trust
Clutch recognition is more than a badge. It’s a signal to our partners and prospects that when they choose Opinov8, they choose:
We’ve grown a lot since 2020, but our values haven’t changed. We continue to serve tech-driven enterprises across industries — from logistics to healthcare — with the same focus that earned us a place among the best.
Read also Frequently Asked Questions About Opinov8
Clutch named Opinov8 one of its Top 100 Fastest Growth and Sustained Growth Companies based on verified client reviews, strong delivery capabilities, and consistent project success across industries.
We partner with service centers of large technology companies, as well as enterprise clients in sectors like logistics, healthcare, fintech, and media — helping them scale through digital transformation.
As a top software company, Opinov8 combines enterprise-level engineering with startup agility. Our global team is trusted for its speed, flexibility, and long-term delivery focus.
