Opia is looking to take on the Russian market following a partnership deal with Yandex.

UK-based Opia, which delivers sales optimisation programmes for major international blue chip brands, will join forces with Yandex’s payment solutions to offer financial products to clients one of the biggest markets in the world.

These products will include promotional rewards such as cashback offers for customers in Russia who choose not to have bank accounts. The move follows deals Opia have secured with Russian retailer Corp Centre and Intel, both of which were sealed earlier this year.

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Opia launched its recent global growth drive by opening an office in Dallas last year, appointing a US head of sales at the same time. It has since overseen recruitment programmes in Italy, Germany, France and Spain – as well as the UK.

Future plans include expansionist programmes in China, India, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and South America. The truly global growth will look to build on the current reach of 60 countries – operating in 15 separate languages.

Opia managing director Andrew Marwick said the company sees “significant opportunities” in global economies – especially in developing markets.

““Opia is growing rapidly, matching the expansion and footprint of many of our clients,” he added. “The scale of the Russian market represents a significant opportunity as risk-managed promotions are still in their infancy in this region.

“The fact that there is little experience of such concepts is a real advantage for first-to-market businesses as they will be the ones generating differentiated headline offers and catching the attention of consumers.”