28 September 2026
With the support of the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport, the official opening of “Xsolla”’s Research and Development Center in Baku was held. The opening ceremony was attended by Minister of Digital Development and Transport Rashad Nabiyev and the leadership of the Innovation and Digital Development Agency.
During the event, “Xsolla”’s contributions to the development of Azerbaijan’s gaming ecosystem to date were discussed. The creation of new jobs in the ICT sector, expansion of ICT exports, incubation programs, hackathons, as well as support for studios from Azerbaijan to participate in leading international conferences were highlighted.
In this regard, the launch of the Research and Development Center in Baku was described as an important milestone in the development of Azerbaijan’s digital gaming ecosystem. Currently, 79 employees work at the company’s Research and Development Center in Baku, 95% of whom are software development specialists. This figure demonstrates the importance “Xsolla” places on developing Azerbaijan’s highly skilled technical talent pool.
The meeting also noted that during 2026, as part of “Xsolla”’s activities in Baku, one incubation program and three hackathons were organized, supporting the creation of 35 game and 15 gametech startups, while 14 studios were supported in participating in leading international events, including the “Game Developers Conference Festival of Gaming,” “Digital Dragons,” “Gamescom” in Cologne, and “Pocket Gamer Connect Shanghai.” A total of nearly AZN 100,000 in financial support was provided to projects participating in “Xsolla” programs.
Minister of Digital Development and Transport Rashad Nabiyev emphasized the importance of cooperation with international technology companies investing in Azerbaijan’s digital economy. He noted that “Xsolla”’s activities in Azerbaijan contribute to the goal of strengthening the country’s position in the global digital gaming industry and play a significant role in this direction.
Cooperation with “Xsolla” will contribute to training highly skilled professionals in Azerbaijan, strengthening the local talent pool, developing the ICT sector, and expanding the export potential of digital products and services. At the same time, this partnership is of significant importance in terms of supporting the local gaming ecosystem, developing innovative startups, and expanding opportunities for Azerbaijani game developers to enter international markets.