Maltese startup with first overseas expansion

TriStratus, a Maltese company established only three years ago as a startup to offer consultancy on the adoption and optimisation of private, hybrid and public cloud services, has opened its first overseas office in Cairo, signalling interesting growth prospects.

The company, which started operating amid the Covid-19 pandemic, was last year awarded the prestigious Microsoft Partner of the Year Award, a recognition which the company had described as a ‘reassurance’ to clients of their cloud services offer.

The announcement of TriStratus’ expansion and opening of its first overseas office came during a Startups Founders Hub event hosted by Microsoft in collaboration with Malta Enterprise for startups interested in furthering their cross-collaborative efforts.

“We feel very overwhelmed and proud of this achievement especially when we think that we started operating as a startup only three years ago,” said Kevin Abela, TriStratus’ managing director as he addressed startups during the event.

The company has ambitious plans and beyond its expansion overseas, aims to establish itself as a dominant player in the regional cloud services market by staying at the forefront of cloud technology through exceptional customer experiences.

“Navigating the cloud landscape requires confidence – which is what we offer to those businesses who want to achieve their full potential in the everevolving digital world. Similarly, we have enough confidence in our operation to achieve our full potential,” he added.

TriStratus was established in 2021 as a startup specialising in cloud services. After only three years, the company has now opened its first office abroad to tap into the Middle East and North African markets. “Maltese startups who are passionate and committed enough, will have all the potential and resources to succeed,” says managing director Kevin Abela.

“When we set up the company, we were just three colleagues, but we were driven by the strong belief in pushing the boundaries of the cloud services industry. We understood the transformative power of cloud solutions, we saw a gap in the local market for a cloud-first and cloud-only partner and this made us more determined to push the boundaries of what’s possible in the cloud services industry.”

Founded in 2021, TriStratus emerged as a visionary Microsoft startup through the collaborative efforts of Kevin Abela, Jonathan Abela, and Asif Akram.

United by a shared commitment to innovation and excellence in cloud services, the trio has steered the company into a new era of digital transformation. Today, TriStratus prides itself on being a fully remote company, dedicated to delivering bespoke cloud solutions that empower businesses worldwide.

“We noticed how established IT companies primarily focused on hardware-based solutions and treated cloud services as an offshoot of their business. We recognized the potential to become a cloud-first and cloud-only partner that prioritizes customer needs and drives business success through tailored cloud solutions, and this led us to form the company,” explains Kevin Abela, TriStratus’ managing director.

After just three years in operation, TriStratus has just opened its first overseas office in Cairo, Egypt to be able to tap into the Middle East’s potential. By the end of this month, TriStratus will already be employing 26 people.

“Not bad for a startup that started operations during the Covid pandemic,” added Abela.

A fully remote-based operation

TriStratus operates fully as a remote-based company allowing it to serve its clients efficiently from any location.

“We chose to operate like this because we want to practice what we preach. Showing our clients that we can operate as a fully remote-based company encourages them to understand that exceptional cloud services are possible no matter their location.”

“We also feel that eliminating geographical limitations has allowed us to expand our services beyond Malta and serve clients on a regional basis, which was an important factor in our fast growth rate,” he added.

Unlike other companies, TriStratus does not believe in migrating customers to the cloud just for the sake of it, but its goal is to ensure they obtain maximum value from adopting the cloud, driving growth, efficiency, and innovation for their businesses.

“We go beyond the technicalities by focusing on a customercentric approach and by partnering with our clients to understand their unique needs and business goals which enables us to plan and deliver tailored cloud solutions that maximize value for our clients,” he added.

In 2023, after just two years of operation, TriStratus was awarded the prestigious Microsoft Partner of the Year Award, a recognition that confirmed the company’s direction and vision for further growth.

“We always believed that this vision can only be accomplished by staying at the forefront of cloud technology, by providing exceptional customer experiences to our partners seeking digital transformation and growth in the cloud era. But leveraging our recognition as Microsoft’s Partner of the Year gave us a stronger competitive advantage.”

Abela reminisces about the company’s early days as a Microsoft startup.

“We found in Microsoft all the guidance and support that any startup would be looking for. They helped us keep things real, offered us mentoring and guidance, the technological backing that we required to start and kept assisting us along the way.

“I think that no matter how much you believe in your project – and we did believe in ours – knowing that you have the backing of a global leader makes all the difference.”

“Really and truly, startups operating in Malta can rest assured that the support is all there. Today, so many companies are partnering together, specifically to assist startups across all aspects of running a business. And with the technological backing and mentorship that the Microsoft For Startups Founders Hub can provide, anyone with a great idea, a well-devised plan and the right dose of passion and commitment can succeed,” he added.

Growth fuels growth

“Navigating the cloud landscape requires confidence and this is what we can offer businesses who want to achieve their full potential in this ever-evolving digital world.

“As for TrisStratus, besides growing locally, our vision is to continue expanding beyond Malta, as we are in fact doing, to become a dominant player in the regional cloud services market.

“More importantly, we want to partner with those businesses who seek digital transformation and growth. Because only when our clients grow, that we can grow with them,” concluded Abela.

The team at TriStratus