Yaspa opens Leeds tech hub to serve as engine room for global growth
Yaspa has opened a brand-new tech hub in Leeds as part of our next stage of growth. This comes hot on the heels of securing $12m in investment last month, and it’s a major step in our plans to expand globally, particularly into the US.
But that’s not all – we’re also delighted to announce that David Turner has joined Yaspa as our new Head of Engineering. David will be leading our Leeds teams and playing a pivotal role in shaping our technology for the future.
Building our Leeds team
Our immediate goal is to bring on board 10 mid-to-senior level software engineers in the coming weeks. These first hires will focus on building our US product, and once that squad is at full capacity, we’ll start recruiting for a second squad, aiming for a total of 20 engineers in Leeds before the end of 2025.
Chris Watkins, our Chief People Officer, explains:
“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.
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.”
Why Leeds?
Leeds is home to some of the UK’s biggest names in iGaming, including Flutter Entertainment’s Sky Betting & Gaming, Paddy Power, Betfair and Evoke’s William Hill brands. With such a strong pool of skilled engineers – many with direct iGaming experience – the city is the perfect choice for our second UK base.
We’ve chosen Platform by Bruntwood in the city centre for our new home. It’s just a few metres from Leeds train station, with beautiful sixth-floor views over the city and modern facilities designed to give our team the best working environment possible.
Welcoming David Turner
We’re thrilled that David Turner has joined Yaspa to lead our Leeds teams. David brings a wealth of experience from more than seven years at William Hill, where he introduced automated sports trading and rose to become Head of Retail Development. He’s also served as Chief Technical Officer at Glean, where he built and scaled a cross-functional delivery team in Leeds from just five to 40 people.
David says:
“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.”
About Yaspa
At Yaspa, we combine open banking technology and AI to deliver Intelligent Payments – real-time bank payments paired with verified customer insights. Our solutions help regulated businesses, particularly in iGaming, meet compliance requirements, promote safer gambling and create seamless payment experiences.
We currently serve partners across the UK and Europe and have recently set up a US entity in Atlanta, Georgia, as part of our expansion plans. Since our founding in 2017, we’ve grown from a small team of 15 to 70 people in just the past 18 months – and now we’re looking for the next talented individuals to join us.
If you’re a software engineer ready to be part of something exciting, you can find our latest opportunities on the Yaspa careers page.
