Freelancer Ltd

Freelancer (GetAFreelancer prior to 2009) is an Australian online job marketplace that provides a platform for freelancers and employers to form mutually beneficial work arrangements. On the platform, employers can post projects for both short and long-term commitments that freelancers submit bids to secure. The highest proportion of completed jobs out of the 1.9 million posted on the platform in 2019 were in design, media, and architecture (30.9% of total completed jobs in 2019) followed by IT and software (30.4%), and writing (12.2%). In February 2021, the company reported that it added 2.1 million new users to its platform in 2020, bringing total registered users to over 50 million.

As of June 2021, the platform offers over 1,800 job categories across sales, manufacturing, biotechnology, website development, graphic design, software development, and more. As of April 2021, Freelancer reports that over 70% of Fortune 500 companies use their platform including Amazon, Deloitte, Intel, and Microsoft.

In November 2013, Freelancer Limited listed on the Australian Stock Exchange to raise approximately USD 14.5 million (valuation of USD 206 million).

Funding and financials

Freelancer recorded a Gross Payments Volume (GPV) of AUD 176.3 million (~USD 116 million) in FY2023 reflecting a 1% YoY deterioration.The company reported revenue of AUD 44.2 million (~USD 29 million), down 3% from previous year figures. The  Freelancer division was said to have reached an effective breakeven in 2023. 

There was a significant turnaround in EBITDA as it stood at AUD 0.5 million (~USD 0.33 million) in 2023, as opposed to a loss of AUD 6.7 million (~USD 4.4 million) in 2022.