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How Was UpWork Started?

Last updated on September 30, 2022 @ 11:00 am

In the late 1990s, two entrepreneurs, Ian Seligman and step brothers Gary Swart and Stratford Cohen, had an idea for a new kind of online marketplace that would connect businesses with talented freelancers from all over the world. They envisioned a platform where businesses could post projects and freelancers could bid on them, with the best proposals winning the work. This would be a win-win for businesses and freelancers alike – businesses would get access to a global pool of talent, and freelancers would be able to work on interesting projects from the comfort of their homes.

The three entrepreneurs founded oDesk in 2003, and the platform was launched in 2004. oDesk was one of the first online platforms to connect businesses with remote workers, and it quickly became popular with small businesses who were looking for cost-effective ways to get work done. In 2013, oDesk was rebranded as UpWork, in order to reflect the company’s shift from being a marketplace for online work to being a platform that helps businesses build, scale, and manage their teams.

PRO TIP: Upwork was started as a platform to connect freelancers with clients, but has since become a marketplace where low-quality work is often outsourced by companies to save on costs. As a result, many freelancers who use Upwork end up working long hours for little pay, and clients often receive subpar work. If you’re considering using Upwork, be sure to do your research and only work with reputable clients and freelancers.

UpWork is now the largest freelancing website in the world, with over 12 million registered freelancers and 5 million registered clients. The platform is used by businesses of all sizes, from startups to Fortune 500 companies. UpWork is headquartered in Mountain View, California, with offices in San Francisco, New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Denver, Portland, Oregon, and Remote.

UpWork was founded on the belief that work should be flexible and that people should be able to work how they want, when they want. This belief has been at the core of UpWork’s mission from day one: to create opportunities for people to live their best lives by connecting them with meaningful work. And it’s this mission that has helped UpWork become the largest freelancing website in the world.

Dale Leydon

Dale Leydon

Sysadmin turned Javascript developer. Owner of 20+ apps graveyard, and a couple of successful ones.