Outsized, an innovative platform that connects top-tier independent talent in the Asia-Pacific, Africa, and the Middle East regions, is delighted to announce the successful conclusion of its Series A funding round. Spearheaded by the prominent South African venture capital firm, Knife Capital, this funding round also secured investments from various private investors, including Adrian Durham, the founder of the globally recognized wealth management platform FNZ Group.
This infusion of investment capital empowers Outsized to fortify its position as the leading player in growth markets within the expansive $5 billion freelance platform sector. The company is set to expand its workforce in sales and engineering, extend its reach in existing regions, and expedite product development for the benefit of both enterprise clients and independent professionals.
Revolutionizing the Freelance Economy in Emerging Markets
Outsized stands as a transformative force in the freelance economy across high-growth markets in the Asia-Pacific, Africa, and the Middle East. Through its cutting-edge AI-powered platform, the company offers enterprises access to a meticulously curated network of 25,000 vetted, top-tier independent professionals, effectively redefining the landscape of agile workforce solutions in these markets.
Before the emergence of Outsized, talent platforms in these growth markets predominantly concentrated on low-skilled, short-term opportunities. Aside from traditional recruitment agencies, there was no dedicated space for clients to engage with highly skilled, professional freelancers. With Outsized, enterprises can swiftly select and engage independent consultants or assemble entire teams to promptly execute critical projects.
Since its inception as a pilot project in 2016, Outsized has experienced remarkable year-on-year growth, establishing itself as a key partner to numerous management consulting firms and major enterprises.
Niclas Thelander, Founder & CMO of Outsized, expressed, “As a young firm, we’re already a key partner to a large number of management consulting firms and major enterprises. This funding is a game-changer, paving the way for new, innovative solutions for our clients and talent.”
Knife Capital’s Investment: A Testament to Team, Economics, and Market Potential
Knife Capital, renowned as Africa’s leading venture capital fund with a stellar track record in nurturing high-growth startups with African connections from Series A to successful exits, revealed that their investment in Outsized represents one of the initial investments from their third fund.
Keet van Zyl, Co-Founding Partner at Knife Capital, conveyed their excitement, stating, “We are extremely excited to spearhead this investment round. What really struck us about Outsized is the positive and growing unit economics and the fact that they have consistently achieved previous forecasts. The team has clearly demonstrated that they can execute and do justice to the scale of the opportunity. Most of the future growth in the global freelance platform market will come from the very geographies and segments of the market where Outsized is already a leader, so the business is well poised.”
Fueling Ambitious Growth Plans with New Products and AI Integration
Outsized is actively developing several new products, including additional modules designed for enterprise clients and services tailored for professional freelancers. Johann van Niekerk, CEO of Outsized, stated, “The integration of AI technology into Outsized’s product offerings and core operations is already underway, enhancing the user experience for both clients and talent.”
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A Commitment to Shaping the Future Workforce
Outsized remains steadfast in its commitment to play a significant role in shaping the future workforce. Van Niekerk emphasized their core values of Passion, Integrity, and Accountability, noting that they are not mere buzzwords but guiding principles for their team and client interactions. The company is dedicated to fostering a fair, sustainable talent market in high-growth economies, and this investment validates their vision and heralds an exciting future ahead.
Charles Rapulu Udoh
Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer, who has several years of experience working in Africa’s burgeoning tech startup industry. He has closed multi-million dollar deals bordering on venture capital, private equity, intellectual property (trademark, patent or design, etc.), mergers and acquisitions, in countries such as in the Delaware, New York, UK, Singapore, British Virgin Islands, South Africa, Nigeria etc. He’s also a corporate governance and cross-border data privacy and tax expert.
As an award-winning writer and researcher, he is passionate about telling the African startup story, and is one of the con