Upwork acquires Dutch-based Bubty to help companies manage and pay freelancers worldwide

The Hague-based Bubty, a global Freelance Management System (FMS), has been acquired by Upwork’s new enterprise subsidiary. The acquisition supports Bubty’s mission to improve how organisations manage contingent talent.

Upwork is a global work marketplace that links businesses with independent professionals. It supports clients ranging from individual startups to large enterprises, providing a platform for collaboration. The platform includes talent with over 10,000 skills across areas such as web and app development, design, customer support, finance, consulting, and operations.

Bubty and Upwork’s enterprise team will develop a unified solution to help organisations manage various types of external workers across global markets. The goal is to provide a system that streamlines, secures, and supports contingent workforce operations.

This marks a key step in shaping new models for enterprise workforce management.

Lee Willoughby and Benjamin Schriel, co-founders of Bubty, say, “Believing that work is part of life. That growth comes from discomfort. That meaning is found in building something with heart. That people matter more than process. And that if you stay focused on what truly matters, everything else follows. To be bold. To lead. To create excitement.”

“This is more than an acquisition. It’s a shared vision, built on trust, care, and a relentless drive to make hiring better for everyone.”

Bubty streamlines global freelance management

Bubty is a Freelance Management System (FMS) that helps companies manage freelancers by handling administrative tasks, legal compliance, and classification risks. 

Its platform allows businesses to build private talent pools and use AI-driven tools for project matching based on availability, budget, and timelines.

Bubty’s compliance solution, Bubty Classified, addresses classification and legal requirements. Its payment system, Bubty Pay, enables companies to pay freelancers in over 190 countries and 130 currencies through a single invoice, supporting compliant and consolidated transactions.