New York-based startup Andela is building up its remote engineering base to expand into other territory across the globe.

Today, the global talent network — which connects companies with vetted, remote engineers in emerging markets — announced its global expansion efforts to accept applications from engineering talent in Latin and South America. By moving into these new regions, Andela’s client base will have an opportunity to lean on regional expertise and nuances to help bolster their international growth.

Andela’s track-record has proven to secure opportunities for remote engineers with businesses all over the world. Its esteemed reputation is what will allow the startup company to continue supporting global talent moving forward.

A press release shared with AfroTech reports that the startup has achieved a 750% increase in applications outside of Africa over the last six months, and a 500% increase within the continent. Now accepting applications from 37 countries across five continents, Andela’s rapid growth is quickly helping it secure its place as a hub for global engineering talent.

“Andela’s mission is to connect brilliance with opportunity. This expansion has always been part of our long term roadmap, and we’re excited that the world is ready for it,” co-founder and CEO Jeremy Johnson said in a press statement. “When we began inviting developers from across Africa to apply last year, we more than doubled the number of countries represented. We’re already seeing the same effects in new regions, and we’re excited to welcome new talent into our growing community. The future of work is now, and this expansion continues our march towards bringing us all closer together.”

With remote work becoming increasingly common across industries, companies all over are starting to embrace a fully-remote or hybrid workplace model that allows for more efficiency amid the pandemic.

According to TechCrunch,  Andela’s decision to transition into a remote business model helped it focus on vetting more experienced engineers that met their clients’ standards.

“In the very beginning, a developer had to be in Lagos to work with Andela. Then it became living in Nigeria. Then Kenya. Then Uganda, Rwanda,” Johnson told the outlet. “Before the pandemic, Andela was opening applications in country after country. The pandemic came and changed that as we opened up to the entire continent.”

A press release shares that Andela’s global expansion will also provide its clients with more diversity, which has proved to be a major key for companies looking to build upon its innovation and employee growth.

The flexibility of the new move offers Andela clients a better chance to form diverse teams across country borders, skill sets, time zones, and cultures.

The company has the connections to international engineering talent that clients need and as the bridge between both parties, Andela proves to be the vital link to discover talent wherever they are.

“As a business in the developer tool space, a lot of us are trying to enter those areas of the world (Southeast Asia, Latin America, and Africa) where the emergent developers are coming so we can better understand their needs,” Dana Lawson — VP of Engineering at GitHub — confirms in a press statement. “Having a local presence there with amazing talent is super valuable to building a global product.”

Looking ahead, Andela hopes this move will help its pool of engineers prove themselves on a global playing field and offer a model example of what diversity in recruiting looks like.

For more information about Andela, visit its website.