Upwork is growing beyond freelance work. The company is known for helping businesses find independent workers. Now, it wants to do more.
Upwork has bought Bubty, a platform that helps manage workers. It also plans to buy Ascen, a company that handles global hiring rules and employer services. Both will become part of a new business unit within Upwork.
This is a big change. Until now, Upwork focused mostly on freelance and contract jobs. With these new companies, it can now support full-time roles and other staffing needs.
This move helps Upwork work with larger companies and offer more flexible hiring options.
Meeting the Needs of Larger Clients
Upwork made this move because demand from larger clients is growing. According to CEO Hayden Brown, many of these clients want more than freelance help. They are asking for talent solutions that include compliance, flexibility, and the ability to scale.
In an interview, Brown explained the problem with current options. Many providers force companies to choose between key needs. For example, some offer speed but lack compliance. Others have simple tools but not the power larger companies need.
Upwork wants to offer all of these at once.
At the moment, Upwork’s enterprise business generates about 100 million dollars out of the company’s total yearly revenue of 750 million dollars. By expanding into more areas of staffing, the company hopes to grow that share significantly.
A Separate Business With a Clear Purpose
Rather than combining everything into its main platform, Upwork decided to launch this new venture as a standalone business unit. According to Brown, large companies have different needs from the smaller businesses that usually use Upwork. In particular, they often require stronger compliance tools and deeper software integrations.
By creating a separate structure, Upwork can better meet those demands. It also helps with branding, allowing each side of the company to focus on its specific audience.
Why Bubty and Ascen?
Upwork took its time with these acquisitions. It reviewed more than 100 companies before selecting Bubty and Ascen. Both had strong features and worked well together.
The company tested each one separately, then as a team. The pilot programs showed strong results. Their tools connected smoothly with Upwork’s existing systems.
“We saw how powerful the combination was,” said CEO Hayden Brown. “It was easy to link their platforms with ours and build something new for the market.”
This setup now allows Upwork to help clients on a larger scale. It can support building and managing teams across countries and contract types.
What Comes Next?
Right now, Upwork has not shared the name, brand, or full details of the new business. However, the company plans to give more information later this year.
One thing is clear. This move is part of a bigger strategy. Upwork wants to become a flexible, full-service platform. It aims to support not just freelancers and startups, but also large global companies.
As more businesses search for smarter ways to hire and manage talent, Upwork is getting ready to meet those changing needs.
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