About oDesk

About oDesk

                         oDesk is a global job marketplace with a series of tools targeted at businesses that intend to hire and manage remote workers. Based in Redwood City, CA, oDesk was founded in 2005 by Greek entrepreneurs Odysseas Tsatalos and Stratis Karamanlakis.

Type                           -                 Private
Industry                       -                 Internet
Service                        -                 Marketplace
Workforce                    -                 Management
Founded                       -                Campbell, California
                                                     2005
Founder(s)                    -                Odysseas Tsatalos
                                                     Stratis Karamanlakis
Headquarters                -                 Redwood City, California
Key people                   -                 Thomas Layton (Executive Chairman)
                                                     Gary Swart (CEO)


Description
                          oDesk allows clients to create online workteams coordinated and paid through the company's proprietary software and website. The name is a short version of "online desk" in reference to the company's intent to enable anyone to work anywhere, anytime. Prospective clients can post jobs for free, and freelance workers (“contractors”) may create profiles and bid on jobs, also for free. The company collects 10 percent of the payment. Payments are made through oDesk, which handles many bookkeeping tasks for the transaction. In addition to the marketplace aspect and the payment/bookkeeping services, the company uses collaborative software, “oDesk Team,” that allows clients to see a provider's progress while he or she is billing time. The transactions are transferred into the contractors' accounts only after a 6-day safety period. The company's site is entirely in English, and all transactions are made in U.S. dollars.

The company describes itself as an online workplace. As of December 2012, oDesk had 2.7 million freelancers and 540,000 clients worldwide. In January 29, 2012, the company reported that its top 5 countries (in terms of dollars spent for oDesk contractor services) were (in rank order):  US, Australia, Canada, UK, and United Arab Emirates. oDesk reported that services paid by clients hiring through the site for the year totaled $360 million in 2012.

The specific areas of expertise supported by the site include web development and a wide variety of programming/software development skills, graphic design, writing and administrative support. The company provides voluntary skills tests in various disciplines from English aptitude to specific programming skills, and profiles include a feedback mechanism.


Awards

• Bersin by Deloitte "WhatWorks" Award (2013)
• oDesk ranked #543 in the 2012 Inc. 5000, #441 in the 2011 Inc. 500, #286 on the 2010 Inc. 500, and #110 in the 2009 Inc. 500
• AlwaysOn Global 250 Top Private Companies (2012 and 2011)
• AlwaysOn OnDemand 100 (2012[30] and 2011)
• Silicon Valley Business Journal Fastest Growing Private Company List (2011, 2010 and 2009)
• San Francisco Business Times Fastest Growing Companies List (2011 and 2010)
• SAMCEDA Innovation & Entrepreneurship Awards - 2011 Fastest Growing Innovator Award of Excellence
• 2011 TiE50 Internet/Social Networking Winner[38] of TiE50 Awards Program.
• TechCrunch50 DemoPit Winner (2010)
• Silicon Valley Business Journal Emerging Technology Award (2009)
• International Association of Outsourcing Professionals 2009 Global Outsourcing 100 Rising Star
• Deloitte Technology Fast 500 
• Finalist for the "Red Herring 100 Global" Awards 2007 and 2009.
• 2007 Rising Star in Deloitte's Technology Fast 500 Program.
• Finalist in PC Magazine’s 2006 Small Business Awards