Cardiff-based digital software company, Aforza, specialises in cloud-based solutions for the consumer goods industries.
Established in 2019, the company develops software that helps companies in the sector bring their products to market, enabling them to manage their promotions, sales and distribution via an app.
Today, Aforza exports to 26 countries across four continents including Europe and North America with international sales accounting for a three quarters of its business. The company aims to increase its export figures over the next five years by entering key markets including Latin America, the Middle East and parts of Asia.
The company is now set to expand its business into the Middle East by setting up its first international base in Dubai early in 2023 following a surge in demand for its software in the region.
Aforza’s export success has been helped by support it has received from the Welsh Government including financial assistance to attend market visits and international exhibitions. The company recently joined one of the world’s largest food and drink trade shows, Gulfood, in Dubai, where it met with potential customers, helping it to build its future sales pipelines.
The company has also received information and support from specialist advisers on trading at a local level within target regions such as Spain and Saudi Arabia.
Andrew Keleher, Marketing Director at Aforza, said: “Exporting is a significant part of our business and has played a key role in our growth over the last few years. Aforza faced challenges during the pandemic that limited opportunities to travel, but with a digital cloud-based product, exports were an obvious choice for our expansion strategy.
“Demand for our services has surged, and we are now looking to Latin America and parts of Asia as key target regions to continue our export journey. Over three-quarters of our business is exports and we don’t see demand slowing down anytime soon.
“Despite offering a digital product, meeting with prospective clients in person is essential to growing our company and securing contracts, especially when it comes to working with customers from different countries. The face-to-face opportunities that have been facilitated by the Welsh Government, particularly international trade exhibitions, have been invaluable to our growth, directly leading to new business.
“We were assigned a specialist trade advisor to support our export journey, who was constantly on the lookout for global opportunities for our business. They also helped us to get a better understanding of how our target markets operate and how to effectively enter them, which has played a large role in our successful expansion.