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oDesk

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oDesk is an online workplace that enables businesses to find, hire, manage, and pay talented independent professionals via the Internet. Businesses can hire these online contract workers for any type of work that can be done in front of a computer — from every tech skill imaginable to project management, customer support, marketing, design and even legal services. Access to a large, global pool of skilled contractors is especially powerful for startups and small businesses with limited resources, businesses seeking a very specific skill that’s difficult to find within commuting distance, and businesses located outside a metropolitan area. oDesk’s unique model provides transparency and protection for both the business and the worker, guaranteeing and tracking that an hour paid is an hour worked.

oDesk is primarily funded by Benchmark Capital, Globespan Capital Partners, and Sigma Partners.

Recent Milestones

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  oDesk added Elena Krasnoperova as VP of Operations and Business Development. (10/1/12)
  Posted 1/17/13 at 9:15am
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  oDesk received $15M in Series D funding. (3/22/12)
  Posted 3/22/12 at 5:36am via techcrunch.com
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  oDesk added Greg Stanger as CFO. (3/1/12)
  Posted 3/22/12 at 2:03pm
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  oDesk — Appointed Thomas Layton as Executive Chairman (12/8/11)
  Posted 12/8/11 at 8:31am via techcrunch.com
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  oDesk added Jaleh Bisharat as VP of Marketing. (9/7/11)
  Posted 9/9/11 at 2:38pm
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  oDesk — ODesk Passes One Million Hours A Month (9/7/10)
  Posted 9/7/10 at 10:56am via techcrunch.com
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  oDesk added Nilesh Lakhani as CFO. (7/28/10)
  Posted 7/28/10 at 9:59am
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  oDesk — oDesk named in Lead411's Hottest Silicon Valley Company awards (5/25/10)
  Posted 5/28/10 at 6:02am via lead411.com
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  oDesk added Amit Bakshi as Product Marketing Manager. (10/1/08)
  Posted 11/30/11 at 9:33am
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  oDesk received $15M in Series C funding. (6/1/08)
  Posted 6/4/08 at 12:46am via techcrunch.com
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  oDesk received $8M in Series B funding. (9/1/06)
  Posted 9/11/07 at 9:02am via odesk.com
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  oDesk received $6M in Series A funding. (4/25/06)
  Posted 9/11/07 at 9:00am via odesk.com
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  oDesk added Josh Breinlinger as Director, Marketing. (10/1/04)
  Posted 7/21/11 at 11:07am
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  oDesk added Gregory Gretsch as Board.
  Posted 7/18/07 at 11:09pm
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  oDesk added Odysseas Tsatalos as CTO, co-founder.
  Posted 7/18/07 at 11:00pm
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  oDesk added Ed Schaffer as VP of Operations.
  Posted 7/18/07 at 11:00pm

Videos

Screenshots

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Above: oDesk Homepage
Uploaded: 1/17/13

Products

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oDesk

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Website	odesk.com
Blog	blog.odesk.com
Stage	Live
Launch Date	2005
Tags	online-work, online-employment, freelancing, global-sourcing, jobs

oDesk’s online workplace has three main areas of functionality: hiring, management and payment.

1) Hiring • Large Talent Pool: With millions of workers to choose from, businesses can find the best worker with the specific skills and knowledge they need – more easily and quickly than by searching locally. • Advanced Search Algorithm: oDesk’s proprietary search algorithm helps businesses find the workers that are best matched for their projects, and helps workers find the best jobs for their skills. • Detailed Profiles with Reviews and Work History: To assess fit when reviewing candidate search results, a full profile for each worker is provided, including a portfolio of past work, ratings and reviews from previous oDesk clients, and skills test scores. • Message Center and Applicant Tracking System: A proprietary email messaging platform and applicant tracking system also help businesses set up interviews and negotiate contract offers.

2) Management • Team Room: Through the Team Room feature, workers log into each project and the software automatically tracks their time, also allowing them to add a “status note” about what specific tasks they’re working on. • Work Diary: The activity from the Team Room is aggregated into a Work Diary, which both businesses and workers can view to see more information about how their active working time was spent. This visibility also allows oDesk to guarantee work to clients and payment to contractors.

3) Payment • Global Payment System: oDesk’s global payment system enables businesses to pay their entire team of contractors easily, no matter where in the world they are located — giving them a review period to look over contractors’ work diaries and allowing them to pay all of their contractors in one lump sum, automatically, with their credit card. • International Withdrawal Options: oDesk offers a variety of international withdrawal options for contractors, including PayPal, MasterCard prepaid debit cards, local funds transfer, and wire transfer.

Above: oDesk Contractors by Category
Uploaded: 1/21/13

Above: oDesk Contractors Detail
Uploaded: 1/21/13

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Sources

1. odesk.com [edit]
2. odesk.com [edit]
3. techcrunch.com [edit]
4. Online Work Platform oDesk Raises $15M From T. Rowe Price, Benchmark (techcrunch.com) [edit]
Lead411's Hottest Silicon Valley Companies Award (lead411.com) [edit]
Online Workers Doing Fine, ODesk Passes One Million Hours A Month (techcrunch.com) [edit]
oDesk Names Former OpenTable CEO And CitySearch Founder Thomas Layton As Executive Chairman (techcrunch.com) [edit]