Kong opens Milan & Paris offices amid Europe growth

Kong has opened new offices in Milan and Paris after a 72% year-on-year rise in its customer base across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

The expansion builds on the company's existing regional presence, including offices in London and Budapest, as it increases investment in European operations. Milan will also serve as a growing engineering hub for research and development, product work and customer support across the region.

The Milan opening carries added significance because the city is where co-founders Augusto Marietti and Marco Palladino started the company in a garage more than a decade ago. Kong now focuses on software used to connect and manage application programming interfaces and artificial intelligence systems.

Regional growth has also expanded the workforce. Kong's EMEA headcount has risen 71% over the past two years, with employees now based in 14 countries.

Hiring has focused on engineering and sales, as well as professional services and customer-facing roles. Staffing has increased notably in the UK, France, Italy and Germany as customer demand has grown.

The rise in customers has been driven in part by organisations in finance, business services and government. Kong cited ING Bank, First Abu Dhabi Bank, Mistral and PolyAI among its customers.

The customer list points to where demand is emerging as more organisations move AI projects into live business use. The broader rise in EMEA activity reflects a need among enterprises for infrastructure that connects software services and AI tools while meeting operational and regulatory requirements.

Augusto Marietti, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Kong, linked the expansion directly to that trend.

"EMEA continues to be one of our fastest-growing regions, and the momentum we're seeing reflects the growing need for connectivity infrastructure to support the most demanding organizations with moving AI safely and efficiently," said Augusto Marietti, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Kong.

"We're doubling down in the region because our customers want local support, expertise, and a trusted partner as they unlock AI from experimentation to production. Opening our new Milan office is especially meaningful because it brings us back to where Marco and I first started building, reminding us how much opportunity still lies ahead," Marietti said.

Regional push

The latest moves suggest Europe remains a priority market for US-based and international software groups seeking closer ties with local customers. Opening offices in Paris and Milan gives Kong a larger physical base in two major business centres as competition grows around the tools companies use to run AI applications and connect data and services across systems.

The comments also suggest that proximity still matters, even for businesses selling cloud and software products. Local office networks can support sales, engineering recruitment and customer relationships, especially for banks, public sector bodies and large companies that often want regional support and staff on the ground.

Carl Mattsson, Group Vice President and General Manager, International, said customer growth had been matched by a broader expansion of the company's regional presence.

"The growth we've experienced in EMEA reflects the trust customers place in us to help solve today's biggest AI and API challenges," said Carl Mattsson, Group Vice President and General Manager, International, Kong.

"Expanding our presence with new offices and team members allows us to be even closer to our customers while continuing to attract exceptional talent to support our next phase of growth," Mattsson said.