Celebrating 20 years in the IT field is a major milestone for Astea. We believe this is the perfect time to share the most crucial and compelling stories that have defined our journey in the fast-evolving tech landscape.

This will be an opportunity to reflect upon the challenges we’ve overcome, the technological shifts we’ve navigated, the pivotal projects that have shaped our expertise, and the passionate people who have driven our success from the very beginning. Sharing these insights will not only honor our past but also inspire our future endeavors as we look ahead to the next chapter of Astea’s history.

Innovation – In the era of the first tablets

Believe it or not, 15 years ago, the digitization of books and magazines was a growing business challenge. The emergence of e-readers, most notably Amazon’s Kindle, and the rise of tablets and digital magazines were rapidly disrupting the traditional print retail model. To compete directly in this evolving landscape and establish a significant digital presence, Barnes & Noble needed a reliable partner.

Across the ocean, a newly founded Bulgarian company, driven by the brightest computer science graduates, was ready to tackle real technological challenges. And the name Astea would soon become synonymous with a problem-solving attitude.

The Asteans were engaged in developing a robust platform for the rapid generation and deployment of content-rich applications for tablets. Their efforts represented a strategic pivot towards mobile technology, aiming to create a seamless and dynamic user experience for content consumption on tablets. The dedication of the Astea team soon garnered attention within the tech industry. This led to their system being utilized for the inaugural digital release of MacLife magazine for tablets, which stayed at the top spot of the Free Apps for iPad on the App Store for weeks.

The achievement secured Astea’s initial phase of its partnership with Barnes & Noble, which was centered on developing a reliable system for digital content creation and distribution. Specifically, Astea focused on engineering a platform for creating engaging and interactive applications designed for tablet consumption. This was central to Barnes & Noble’s broader strategy to adapt and thrive in the digital world.

Problem-solving – Building a competitive digital ecosystem

Over time, Astea evolved into an essential development and operational partner to Barnes & Noble. The main focus was on developing specialized tools and workflows for processing, converting, and preparing content specifically for the NOOK ecosystem.

As a result, Astea delivered a streamlined and highly integrated infrastructure that revolutionized Barnes & Noble’s content distribution. Specifically, it furnished both their internal publishing houses and external partner publishing operations, alongside independent authors and smaller publishing ventures, with an exceptionally efficient management system, enabling the rapid and seamless distribution of a vast array of content onto the NOOK platform.

The two companies were working collaboratively on an ambitious project to build a comprehensive, end-to-end digital publishing and consumption ecosystem, which was set up to take on the e-reader and digital content market.

Endurance – Automation and support

After 10 years, the core focus of the continuing partnership shifted strategically. Barnes & Noble made the decision to cease the manufacturing of their devices and subsequently closed their associated platform. However, Astea remained a steadfast partner, continuing to provide essential support for the ongoing operation of the services. This commitment ensured a degree of continuity for Barnes & Noble’s remaining infrastructure and user base even after the initial product lifecycle had ended.

The emphasis moved away from initial product deployment and maintenance towards advanced process automation and sustained operational support for the existing systems. Despite the increasing obsolescence of Adobe’s Flash technology and the industry-wide move towards newer standards, Astea continued to maintain and support Barnes & Noble’s infrastructure. This dedication allowed the legacy system to remain fully operational, serving its purpose within the company for nearly a decade.

To celebrate our 11-year partnership with Hack TUES, we sit down with Alexander Yordanov from Astea, whose connection to the annual hackathon is both deep and multifaceted.

Alexander’s unique experience spans the entire spectrum of the event – beginning as an eager, innovative participant, transitioning into a tech professional, and ultimately returning to serve as a valued mentor. His journey is a powerful testament to the impact and developmental potential of Hack TUES.

In this conversation, Alexander shares his invaluable insights on the powerful role of mentorship in shaping the next generation of IT professionals.

Last year was your first time as a mentor, right? What surprised you the most about being the one sharing the knowledge? On the other hand, did you learn something new from the students?

Last year was my first time mentoring at HackTUES as an official mentor from Astea – I had also mentored there the year before on my own. I worked with a team of five 12th-grade students, and I was surprised by how seriously they approached the hackathon. They had already organized their work, so what surprised me was how much one small tip could change everything. I just pointed them in a better direction, and they immediately ran with it to build something way better. It felt great to see how much of an impact a little guidance can have.

On the other hand, I learned that mentoring is really about how you talk to people. Even if you know the tech inside out, explaining it simply to someone else takes a whole new level of clarity and patience.

HackTUES has always been full of adrenaline. How do you keep the team spirit up when “the code isn’t working” and the deadline is coming up? Do you have a special “Astea approach” for these moments?

My first rule is simple: Don’t panic. When something goes wrong and time is running out, I help the team stay calm and break the problem into small, manageable steps. If we’re short on time, we change direction. I’d rather see us build a working MVP than go after a perfect feature that might fail.

To me, the Astea approach is about staying human and communicating with each other. We keep the vibe light with a bit of humor and quick brainstorming. I always remind them that HackTUES and all the hackathons like this are about the experience and learning, not just a flawless demo.

You’ve already been through the “full circle” (participant → professional → mentor). If you had to describe Astea’s atmosphere to a young person who is just graduating from TUES, what would you say?

If I had to break down the Astea atmosphere for someone graduating from TUES, I’d say it’s basically a calm, welcoming space full of colorful people – the kind of folks who have actual hobbies and interests outside of just grinding code or breaking software.

It’s definitely not your typical stiff corporate office. You can pretty much walk up to anyone with a question, and if they don’t have the answer, they’ll genuinely try to help you find the person who does instead of just brushing you off.

Is there something you’re hoping to see at this year’s hackathon? What do you want the students to get out of their meeting with you and Astea?

I hope to see more AI-free innovation this year. Even though using AI is popular right now, it’s good to remember that great engineering and fun projects were around long before everything had to be smart or automated.

I want students to feel comfortable asking any questions they have and to see that they can have honest conversations with people from the industry.

Mentorship is undeniably impactful – even a little guidance can really change the path of a student team. Here at Astea, we’re all about sharing knowledge and working together to get things done, and we are super proud of Аsteans like Alexander who share their know-how with the next generation of IT professionals. We’re really looking forward to Hack TUES 12, where we’ll get to meet loads of young people who are keen to develop their skills and bring their innovative ideas to life.

The culmination of our 14th internship program took place at the end of June 2025. The young talents came together to present their accomplishments and team projects to the entire company.

The latest edition included participants in various positions: Dev, QA, and DevOps. Together, they learned a lot about teamwork and today’s expectations for software development.

Over more than 4 months, the new talents at Astea successfully bridged the gap between their academic knowledge and the business world. The practical lectures and group projects that simulated real-life working environments made this an unforgettable learning experience.

One of the intern teams developed MentorHub – a platform that helps users connect with experienced professionals based on their interests, skills, and schedules. The application allows mentees to select relevant domains of interest, browse through mentors’ profiles, chat, schedule meetings, and make video calls over WebRTC.

The other team implemented Astea Events – a useful tool for our company to plan and manage internal events and attendance. It enables users to schedule and share events through its integration with Slack and Google Calendar, thus increasing the chances of employees attending an event.

As always, we are impressed by our trainees’ performance over the internship and with the end results. They’re not just acquiring new skills, but here at Astea they’re also given the opportunity to unleash their potential and ideas. We are thrilled that 9 of the interns have chosen to pursue their professional careers at Astea. 

Do not hesitate to learn more about our internship program at https://asteasolutions.com/internship/.

A few days ago at Astea we celebrated the successful completion of the latest 13th edition of our internship program, which has been a cornerstone of our company culture for the past nine years. The internship is not only an opportunity to learn but a gateway to meaningful career development and the potential for long-term employment.

This year, 10 Dev interns joined us for an exciting journey, culminating in two group projects: Breaking Buttons and Office Wars. The projects presented by this year’s participants captivated the entire Astea team, showcasing impressive results achieved in just a few months.

Here is a closer look at the two applications.

Breaking Buttons: A competitive typing experience

Breaking Buttons transforms the humble keyboard into a tool for exhilarating gameplay. This online game challenges players to test their typing skills in various creative modes. At its core, the game features a competitive mode where participants retype a freshly generated text while their speed and correctness are decisive for who emerges victorious. Additional standout features include:

• Innovative gameplay modes: from various types of competitions including programming code generated by ChatGPT, through an upskill mode to improve your performance, to a high-stakes mode where a single mistake ends the game.
• Admin panel: A dedicated interface for administrators to manage users and game settings efficiently.
• Cloud integration: User photos are securely stored via AWS S3.

Looking ahead, the team plans to introduce even more engaging features, such as a Mario Kart-inspired mode, and expanded admin capabilities. Breaking Buttons blends technical prowess with creative gameplay, offering players a fun and competitive experience.

Office Wars: Conquering the office floor

Office Wars reimagines the classic trivia game Triviador within the familiar setting of an office. Developed by a team of five interns, this game combines real-time gameplay with strategic conquest mechanics. Its core features include:

• Trivia battles in real-time: Using WebSockets, players compete to answer trivia questions and claim office territories.
• Creative design: The game’s map is modeled after the third floor of Astea’s office, where territories are styled as rooms. Each room is named after a capital city and marked with a unique icon that symbolizes the city.
• Flexible login options: Players can join as guests or via a Google account.

The team skillfully tackled challenges like real-time communication, territory management, and developing an engine for generating trivia questions, all while adding engaging visuals and user-friendly interfaces. The project’s success is a testament to their teamwork and the support of their mentors, who provided technical guidance and helped refine their approach.

A gateway to growth

These projects highlight the creativity, dedication, and technical expertise nurtured during Astea’s internship program. With the support of mentors and collaboration across teams, the interns turned the project requirements they received into fully functional applications, impressing everyone with their execution.

As we close another successful chapter in our internship story, we are already looking forward to discovering the next wave of talent. Are you ready to dive into the worlds of Breaking Buttons and Office Wars? At Astea, the possibilities are endless, and the journey always leads to growth and discovery.

Find your opportunity at Astea here: https://asteasolutions.com/internship/

We’re delighted to announce that the team “С-3РО” won our special prize for their outstanding performance for their project “TrackFit”!

Here are some snapshots from the event, where passion and innovation collided in the best possible way! Thank you to all participants for making this hackathon a memorable one!

With all new hardware donated by Astea, and after the renovation of the desks and chairs, Hall 03 will not be just a place to study, but a platform for dreams, inspiration and creativity. Thanks to the initiative of Emil Atanasov and the support of Astea Solutions, it has been transformed into a modern and cozy tech space, where students will immerse themselves in the magic of programming with state-of-the-art desktop #MAC computers.

Young minds will enter the world of #iOS development and programming with #Swift in the specialized courses that will be held there. It’s a place for ideas where challenges turn into opportunities for growth and success.

We believe that this new hall will be a source of inspiration, a place to seek knowledge and a path to the future. Every step towards a quality education will bring us closer to achieving our wildest goals!

We wish all students and teachers a successful school year!

A few days ago at Astea we celebrated the successful completion of the 12th edition of our internship program, which we have been organizing for the eighth year. This gives us the opportunity to discover new faces and ideas in the world of software development. This year, seven interns participated in the summer program and presented their completed projects to the entire Astea team. Since 2016, more than 100 interns have passed through the doors of Astea, of which 82 have continued their career with us. This is not just an internship program, but a gateway to career development and the possibility of permanent employment. The projects of the trainees, Self Certified and Empty Fridge, grabbed the attention of all Asteans and impressed with the results achieved in the short time they had.

Alex, Andrei, Pavla and Tsvetan developed the Self Certified platform with the help of their mentors. This dynamic team of developers did their best to create a functional website in just two months of work. The idea for the project was inspired by the needs of colleagues for access to systematized and reliable information, as well as a guide to all possible courses and exams through which professional certifications can be acquired. Astea supports exactly this type of professional development and funds the wishes of its employees if the course meets the necessary conditions.

The second group of interns – Ralitsa, Tervel and Georgi, developed the Empty Fridge application, whose ambition is to make everyday life in homes easier and more convenient. Their app has two main functionalities – manipulating product lists and searching, and saving recipes. The idea is to help keep track of available products in the home, make a shopping list and easily save and discover recipes. A major advantage of the application is that users can share information within their household and when lists are manipulated, the change is instantly reflected to everyone. Voice recognition of instructions to the Empty Fridge assistant makes it even easier to use even on the go, and integration with ChatGPT can also override users in writing recipes, giving ready-made suggestions or directly preparing the shopping lists for a particular dish. This end is only on the internship program for 2023, because something new and inspiring is about to begin. Astea continues to grow and develop, combining technology and young minds in its field of activity. Congratulations to all the interns for their contribution and commitment. We look forward to the future that they will enrich with their skills and ideas. We believe that the seven young talents will carry the spirit of Astea around the world with more joy and self-confidence. We look forward to unveiling even greater innovations and successes very soon!

The future geniuses of Bulgaria are returning with impressive results from the International Tournament of Young Naturalists. Some of the biggest homegrown talents in physics, chemistry and biology won team silver and bronze medals at the 11th edition of the international tournament.

This year, the competition was held from August 20 to 27 in Almaty, Kazakhstan and brought together the most brilliant minds from over 10 countries, giving them the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in the field of natural sciences. This event is an amazing platform for the exchange of ideas and experiences that brings together young students eager to present their scientific potential to the world. In the international context of the tournament, participants seek solutions to specific scientific problems and face challenges that test their creativity, analytical thinking and technical skills. This tournament is not only a competition but also an opportunity for students to learn about the latest scientific trends and developments. Connecting with colleagues from different countries gives them the opportunity to get inspired and exchange ideas with people who share the same interests and passions. Bulgaria’s competitors proved that our youth generation is a key factor for future innovations and scientific achievements. Astea believes that success not only inspires young people to follow their school dreams, but also reminds us that investment in education and science is essential for the progress of society. This is an occasion for all of us to support and encourage the scientific efforts of young students and to create a brighter future for Bulgaria. For more information, visit the link to the article.

• Teaching and assisting at universities and schools
• Offering an internship program that provides real-world team project experience
• Organizing a free conference open to anyone interested in the IT sector
• Initiating other activities directly related to the technological sphere

This time, however, we decided to focus on the career development of young talents, providing them with insights into the various roles in software development and what is essential to know when starting their first job. Our goal was not to deliver “dry lectures,” but to truly connect with the thoughts and concerns of young people, helping them find their best career paths.

Seven of Astea’s colleagues, including software engineers who were recently students themselves, volunteered to participate in the initiative. Their presentations highlighted their personal experiences and challenges in client interactions, teamwork specifics, and best practices for career development. The lectures were designed to be open-ended, promoting bilateral and intergenerational dialogue. We aimed to turn these events into genuine discussions where students could freely express their opinions and perspectives.

The students appreciated this conversational format, and we heard many intriguing viewpoints from those just beginning their career journeys. The most significant conclusion we drew is that investing in intergenerational relationships to exchange experience and knowledge is highly beneficial.

This is the outcome of the pilot edition of “Open Discussions,” which we launched in Sofia schools and universities. Over three months, we managed to:

• Visit 7 educational institutions: FMI at SU, NBU, UniBIT, NPMG, SMG, SPGE “John Atanasov,” and TUES
• Engage with over 150 students during the events
• Present interesting and current topics

Overall, the initiative has reinforced our belief in the value of sharing knowledge across generations to foster career development and mutual growth.