Outsized, a South African Startup, Closes Its Series A Round Led by Knife Capital

Outsized, the leading platform for top-tier independent talent in Asia-Pacific, Africa, and the Middle East, is thrilled to announce the successful completion of its Series A funding. Led by South African venture capital firm Knife Capital, the round also includes investment from private investors including Adrian Durham, founder of the global wealth management platform FNZ Group.

The Investment strengthens Outsized's position as the leading growth markets player in the global USD 5 billion freelance platform market. The company will grow its team, expand regionally, and accelerate product development.

Connecting top independent talent with enterprises and consulting firms in high growth markets

Through its AI-powered platform, the company offers enterprises access to a curated network of 25,000 vetted, top-tier independent professionals, redefining agile workforce solutions in the market.

Before Outsized, platforms in growth markets focused on low-skilled, short-term gig opportunities. Now, enterprises can deploy high-quality independent consultants and teams within days.

Since its pilot in 2016, Outsized has experienced remarkable growth.

"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," said Niclas Thelander, Founder & CMO of Outsized.

Knife Capital, Africa's leading venture capital fund, attracted to team, unit economics and the market opportunity

Knife Capital, renowned for its unparalleled track record in propelling high-growth startups with an African connection from Series A to successful exits, revealed that the investment in Outsized is one of the first from its third fund.

"We are extremely excited to spearhead this investment round," said Keet van Zyl, Co-Founding Partner at Knife Capital. "What really struck us about Outsized is the positive and growing unit economics and the fact that they have consistently achieved previous forecasts. 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."

Funding fuelling ambitious growth plans

Outsized has a strong product pipeline which will be fast-tracked thanks to the investment. "This investment not only accelerates our roadmap but also emphasises our commitment to improving agility and the way industries operate," said Outsized's Managing Director for Asia-Pacific, Anurag Bhalla.

Outsized is committed to play an important role in shaping the workforce of the future.

"At Outsized, our values of Passion, Integrity, and Accountability are more than words; they're our foundation. This investment underscores our dedication to cultivating an equitable talent economy in our regions. It's not just growth—it's a vision realised," remarked Bhalla.

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