Elance and oDesk agreed to merge in December 2013. The companies combined under the Elance-oDesk name in 2014, rebranded as Upwork in May 2015, and completed the transition to one marketplace platform in 2016. The merger’s documented impact is a consolidation of two online freelance marketplaces; company announcements do not establish that it raised freelancer earnings, improved job quality, or produced better client outcomes.
What happened to Elance and oDesk?
Elance and oDesk were established online talent marketplaces: Upwork later dated Elance’s founding to 1998 and oDesk’s to 2003. In December 2013, the companies announced a definitive merger agreement. The corporate combination and the migration to one platform happened in stages, rather than on the day the agreement was announced.
Key dates
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| December 18, 2013 | Elance and oDesk announced a definitive agreement to merge. |
| March 2014 | The combined company adopted the Elance-oDesk name, according to Upwork’s later filing. |
| May 5, 2015 | The company introduced the Upwork brand and a new platform. |
| 2015–2016 | The company consolidated the Elance and oDesk marketplaces; it reported operating a single platform after consolidation in 2016. |
Upwork’s later investor FAQ describes the company as formed from the combination of Elance and oDesk in 2014. Its 2018 annual report provides the more detailed platform timeline: consolidation began in 2015 and resulted in a single platform in 2016. Upwork’s SEC filing and investor FAQ document the company’s account of that history.
What changed for the freelance marketplace?
The structural change was that two marketplaces came under one corporate identity and, eventually, one platform. That created a shared destination for businesses seeking freelancers and for freelancers looking for client work. It did not mean every part of the transition happened at once: the brand changed in 2015, while platform consolidation continued through 2016.
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At the May 2015 relaunch, Upwork described its aim as helping businesses connect with talent more quickly. CEO Stephane Kasriel said: “There is literally an earth-sized talent pool of freelance professionals out there, and yet most businesses still limit their thinking to rigid local hiring models.” This statement captures the company’s strategy at the time; it is not independent evidence that workers found more or better-paying jobs as a result.
What do the company’s reported figures show?
The figures below describe marketplace scale at different points and use different measures. They come from company announcements and reports, so they should be read as company-reported figures—not as independent measurements of the merger’s effects.
Rank #2
| When and source | Reported figure | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| December 2013 merger announcement | More than 8 million freelancers, 2 million businesses, and users in more than 180 countries; estimated 2013 billings of $750 million | The companies’ projected combined reach and estimated billings, as stated when announcing the agreement. |
| Company report in 2015, covering year-end 2014 | 13.5 million community members: 9.7 million freelancers and 3.8 million businesses | The company’s count of its community at the end of 2014. |
| Company report in 2015, covering 2014 | $941 million in online hiring via Elance.com and oDesk.com | A company-reported marketplace activity figure for the two sites; it does not isolate a merger effect. |
| May 2015 Upwork relaunch announcement | More than 3 million freelance jobs posted and 100 million searches annually across Elance and oDesk | Company-reported posting and search activity at the relaunch. |
These numbers cannot be combined into proof that the merger caused growth. They refer to different dates, populations, and types of activity, and were reported by the companies themselves. The 2013 billings figure was an estimate, while later figures describe reported community size or activity.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Did the merger improve freelancer pay or job quality?
The documented chronology establishes that the marketplaces were combined and consolidated. The company materials cited here do not quantify the merger’s causal effect on freelancer fees, individual earnings, competition, job quality, or client satisfaction. The figures about members, hiring, jobs, and searches measure scale or activity; none shows what happened to a typical freelancer’s income or experience.
For freelancers, the reliable conclusion is therefore limited: Elance and oDesk became one company and eventually one Upwork platform, but the available company-reported statistics do not show whether that change made it easier to find work or improved the financial terms of work. Those outcomes require evidence about workers and clients, not just marketplace totals.
Quick Recap
Sources
- Elance and oDesk’s December 2013 merger announcement
- Upwork’s 2018 annual report and company history
- Upwork’s May 2015 platform and brand relaunch announcement
- Elance-oDesk / Upwork company-reported 2014 figures
- Upwork investor FAQ
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