Upwork’s Bold Move into Corporate Staffing
Upwork is transforming how companies hire by moving beyond freelance work and entering the broader corporate staffing market. Through the acquisitions of Bubty and Ascen, Upwork is building a standalone enterprise-focused business that aims to redefine how organizations access talent. This shift reflects the growing demand from Upwork’s enterprise clients who want more than just freelance support—they’re asking for fully compliant, scalable staffing solutions. By incorporating employer of record (EOR), agent of record (AOR), and staff augmentation services, Upwork is positioning itself to become a full-service talent partner. This move is more than just expansion—it’s a strategic evolution that could reshape the future of staffing.
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Upwork expands enterprise offerings through Bubty and Ascen
With the acquisition of workforce management platform Bubty and a signed agreement to acquire global compliance firm Ascen, Upwork is signaling its commitment to enterprise hiring. These acquisitions will power the new business unit under the Upwork umbrella, combining Upwork’s digital expertise with Bubty’s workforce infrastructure and Ascen’s global compliance capabilities. The goal? To create a one-stop solution for businesses looking to hire contractors, full-time staff, or any combination in between, while ensuring regulatory compliance and seamless global operations. This enables Upwork to serve not just startups and small teams, but also large organizations with complex HR needs across different countries and employment types.
Why Upwork’s corporate staffing push matters
Upwork’s expansion into corporate staffing marks a major industry shift. Traditionally known as a freelance marketplace, Upwork is now tapping into a market where flexibility and scale must coexist with compliance and control. This move allows Upwork to serve a growing demand for blended workforce models that include full-time employees, freelance specialists, and remote contractors—all managed through a centralized platform. By addressing concerns like risk management, local labor laws, and payroll logistics, Upwork is making it easier for enterprises to go global with their teams. In an age where remote work is the norm and companies are building distributed teams, Upwork’s offering fills a significant gap in the staffing ecosystem.
Upwork’s vision for the future of enterprise hiring
Upwork isn’t just responding to market demand—it’s setting the pace for the next phase of workforce innovation. CEO Hayden Brown emphasized that today’s enterprise clients want more than speed—they want flexibility, compliance, scale, and reliability all at once. The launch of this new standalone business reflects a refusal to compromise. Upwork aims to provide an all-in-one staffing solution that meets the nuanced needs of enterprise clients, from onboarding international employees to managing freelancers and consultants. With Bubty and Ascen under its wing, Upwork is not just expanding its services—it’s aiming to become a category-defining leader in modern workforce management.
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