Caerphilly-based freelancer platform Revolancer has reached a significant milestone in its early-stage growth, surpassing 120,000 active users from across the world.
The platform, which allows users to exchange their services for cash or credits which can then be exchanged with other users, is growing rapidly and is currently seeing over a thousand new users sign up daily.
The company was founded in 2021 by CEO, Karl Swanepoel as an Aberystwyth University dorm room project, and is now entering its second fundraising round where it expects to raise a further $1.9m to its initial $700k raise.
The platform has a unique offering in that whilst it provides freelancers with paid work opportunities, it also allows them to exchange services for credits that can be redeemed with other users. This credit system has been a draw for newer freelancers looking to receive support for wider project work, without needing an initial financial outlay.
Founder and CEO, Karl Swanepoel, said the recent spike in growth has been attributed to its marketing efforts and the snowball effect of users inviting others to join and collaborate on their projects.
Karl said: “We’re proud of how quickly our community has grown and this has been down to the hard work of our team, but also the fact that our platform has a real community focus, and that’s been important for freelancers. It can be tough going on your own, especially at the beginning, and so being able to connect, collaborate and share work through one platform has been an important factor in our growth.”
The company has set a target of one million members by 2025, something Karl feels is achievable as awareness and signups gather pace.
Karl continued: “If we continue at this rate we will surpass other, more established freelance platforms and get closer to our mission of making freelance and self-employment a genuinely achievable career route. There are over two million freelancers in the UK alone, contributing £162bn to our economy. With the cost of living crisis, more and more people are turning to freelancing as a way to boost their income and potentially free themselves from the nine to five.
“Revolancer provides people with a platform, an environment and crucially, a network that allows them to find and deliver work. We will be the one-stop-shop for freelancers across the globe to connect, collaborate and grow.”
The company recently launched a tongue-in-cheek petition to ban the 9 to 5, which received over 15,000 signatures, and aimed to widen the debate about modern ways of working.
Vanessa Siliezar is a member of Revolancer and found the credit system of the platform useful for fulfilling wider client projects.
Vanessa said: “I loved the idea of a service exchange. I was looking for a social media manager for a client of mine who was launching a new brand and through the platform I was able to find the perfect person.
“Collaborating with other freelancers allows me to deliver more extensive packages for my current clients and win new business pitches with a more comprehensive offering – something that would be tough to organise early on. It’s been great to have everything in one place and to have a fellow creative to bounce ideas off, as they often give you a new perspective that you hadn’t thought of.”
