The acquisition expands direct employment of contingent talent, through Employer of Record, to more than 30 countries. This is in addition to our Independent Contractor & Agent of Record services that are offered in 180+ countries.
This week, we announced that Lifted, an Upwork Company, has acquired WorkMotion, a Berlin-based, tech-enabled Employer of Record (EOR) with a network of owned legal entities in 30+ countries. In simple terms, an EOR is how a company hires people in countries where it has no entity of its own, and stays compliant while doing it.
The news
The acquisition expands direct employment options (Employer of Record and Staff Augmentation) for Lifted’s enterprise clients to more than 30 countries, in addition to Lifted’s Independent Contractor (IC) & Agent of Record (AOR) services that are offered in 180+ countries.
Why we did it
This is an important step in the plan we set out when Lifted was launched in August 2025: one purpose-built solution to source and compliantly engage every type of contingent talent, globally.
Last year’s acquisition of Ascen enabled Lifted to offer customers a unique, digitally native, compliant employment offering in the U.S. and Canada.
With WorkMotion, Lifted extends and accelerates that model across 30+ international markets, for a globally consistent experience and transparent pricing.
This was the most natural next step, as our customers' need to engage talent internationally is forever expanding
If you lead a contingent workforce program
Let’s assume you work at a large enterprise. You may have hundreds or thousands of contractors across the globe. You deal with complexity every day.
Many programs end up with a patchwork of vendors across every country they hire in, each with its own experience, service levels, support quality, and pricing arrangements.
Why does working with Lifted reduce that complexity?
Lifted is one supplier that can source talent and then compliantly engage it anywhere, whatever the contract type:
With the acquisition of WorkMotion, Lifted expands direct employment options (Employer of Record and Staff Augmentation) for enterprise clients to more than 30 countries, in addition to Lifted’s Independent Contractor (IC) & Agent of Record (AOR) services that are offered in 180+ countries.
This reduces our reliance on third-party partners, so you get a globally consistent experience and transparent pricing wherever you need to hire talent.
If you run a function
Say you run marketing, product, or engineering. Your need for flexibility has probably never been higher than it is today. Why? Because new projects keep landing on your desk and timelines keep shifting. You need new skills, fast.
Finding the right people and engaging them at speed is complex. It gets harder when the talent sits in different countries, each with its own employment rules. With Lifted, you get one supplier that sources talent at high speed and engages it compliantly anywhere in the world, so you can focus on delivering your projects.
If you're a Lifted customer today
Nothing changes right now. Your contract stays the same, and the way you work with us stays the same. If you have international hiring needs, contact your account management or customer success team.
Which country is the hardest for your program to hire in today?
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Author
Ernesto Lamaina
GM, Lifted
Ernesto Lamaina is the General Manager of Lifted, an Upwork company dedicated to helping enterprises source, engage, and manage contingent talent across every contract type—independent contractors, staff augmentation, employer of record, and managed services.
This content is for general informational purposes only, and is not intended to be and should not be viewed as legal or tax advice. Readers should contact their attorney or tax professional to obtain advice with respect to any particular legal or tax matter. Information discussed can change frequently, and Lifted cannot guarantee that all information is current at all times.
