What happened
Upwork’s acquisition of WorkMotion closed on 30 October 2026, when Lifted bought all shares in WorkMotion Software GmbH, the Berlin parent company. The price, about USD 129.7 million in cash, comes from Upwork’s quarterly filing. Upwork announced the deal with its third-quarter results on 2 November 2026, and WorkMotion said in a notice on 3 November 2026 that “existing contracts, prices, and contacts remain unchanged”.
Check before acting: if WorkMotion employs staff for you in Germany, plan for the 18-month cap German leasing law sets on each placement, for example by moving long-running roles to your own entity before month 18.
Lifted bought the entities it had planned to build
Lifted’s purchase of Ascen gave it owned entities in the US and Canada, which it says lowered its cost to serve. Its EOR work elsewhere has run through third-party partners.
WorkMotion adds owned entities in more than 30 countries. On Upwork’s earnings call, chief executive Hayden Brown tied the deal to higher win rates and a lower cost to serve, and said Lifted had planned to build some of these entities itself over the next one to two years. Upwork’s results release also names more consistent pricing and service, and less dependence on third-party EOR providers, among its aims. In our view, an EOR that owns the employing company controls payroll and compliance and keeps the margin, while a partner network adds a second company with its own fees and service levels.
Founded in Berlin in 2020, WorkMotion advertises EOR in 160+ countries and more than 1,000 client companies. Upwork said on the call that WorkMotion’s revenue grows about 20% a year and should contribute roughly USD 4 million in the fourth quarter. WorkMotion is Lifted’s third and largest acquisition in 16 months.
| Closed | Company | What Lifted gained | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
Closed
27 June 2025
|
Company
Bubty (Netherlands)
|
What Lifted gained
Software to manage contingent workforce programs
|
Price
USD 20.4 million
|
Closed
18 August 2025
|
Company
Ascen
|
What Lifted gained
EOR for contingent workers in the US and Canada
|
Price
USD 40.8 million
|
Closed
30 October 2026
|
Company
WorkMotion (Germany)
|
What Lifted gained
Employer entities it owns in 30+ countries
|
Price
About USD 129.7 million
|
Lifted’s acquisitions (dates and prices from Upwork’s 10-Q)
WorkMotion still trades under its own brand
WorkMotion’s notice of 3 November 2026 also says it remains an independent Berlin company on its own platform, with Felix Steffens as chief executive and the current leadership in place, and that customer data stays in the EU. It plans more owned entities over the next two years but has not said where.
No rebrand, price change or move off WorkMotion’s platform had been announced by 8 November 2026. That day, WorkMotion’s homepage carried no acquisition notice, its pricing page listed EOR from EUR 499 or USD 549 per employee per month, and its legal notice named Felix Steffens, Karim Zaghloul and Jan-Peter Böckstiegel as managing directors.
The platform migration in Upwork’s results moves Upwork’s own Enterprise clients to Lifted and does not involve WorkMotion customers. Neither company has listed the countries where WorkMotion owns entities or said how Lifted’s enterprise clients will be routed onto them. Renewal pricing has not been announced either, and Upwork’s finance chief mentioned integration costs on the call but gave no timetable.
WorkMotion’s standard terms set what can change after the sale
The April 2026 version of the terms, linked from WorkMotion’s website, answers most of the questions the sale raises. If you negotiated your own contract, check that instead. Changes to the standard terms count as accepted unless you object by email within a month (section 17.8).
- Section 17.1 lets either side assign the contract to affiliated companies, as defined in sections 15 onward of the German Stock Corporation Act, or to third parties, but each must inform and consult the other early. As we read that definition, Lifted and other Upwork companies now count as affiliates. See our guide to EOR contract clauses.
- Under section 4.7, WorkMotion can raise fees if its own costs rise, with notice but no set lead time, so ask in writing how long your current rates hold.
- Section 1.3 allows delivery through WorkMotion subsidiaries or independent third-party companies, and with EOR sold in 160+ countries but owned entities in more than 30, many countries depend on partners. We see those as the likeliest to change, and a new employing entity means a transfer, so ask how one would work and who pays.
- The terms make WorkMotion and the client joint controllers of EOR worker data. A new data processor needs prior notice and applies unless the other side objects within eight calendar days, so watch for notices naming Lifted or Upwork systems.
- With no change-of-control clause, leaving follows the normal rules. Either side can terminate with three months’ notice to the end of a calendar month, termination ends every worker mandate, and WorkMotion commits to reasonable efforts to support a transfer over at least one calendar month, at the client’s own legal and financial risk. Deposits are refundable and held in ring-fenced accounts. Before giving notice, read our guide to switching EOR providers or see our EOR switch service.
German placements through WorkMotion face an 18-month cap
WorkMotion’s help center says its subsidiary WorkMotion Europe GmbH holds a German employee-leasing license under the AÜG. The license sits with that subsidiary, and Lifted bought the parent company, so the sale does not by itself move it. Section 1 of the AÜG permits leasing only temporarily and caps one worker’s placement with one client at 18 consecutive months, unless a sector collective agreement sets another limit. Section 8 requires pay and core conditions to match comparable staff at the client, and collective agreements can generally deviate on pay only for the first nine months.
Those limits suit contingent work, where someone is employed for one engagement, and Upwork presents WorkMotion as a direct employer of contingent workers. WorkMotion’s own notice stresses small and mid-sized European businesses. A permanent German role placed through WorkMotion has no end date, so it runs into the cap. Our guide to EOR in Germany has more on the country’s rules.
Upwork and WorkMotion FAQs
Who bought WorkMotion?
Lifted, the enterprise workforce business of Upwork Inc., bought WorkMotion by acquiring all shares in WorkMotion Software GmbH, its Berlin parent company. Upwork’s quarterly filing dates the closing to 30 October 2026, and Upwork disclosed the deal alongside its third-quarter results on 2 November 2026. WorkMotion keeps its own brand, and Felix Steffens stays as chief executive.
How much was WorkMotion sold for?
About USD 129.7 million in cash, according to the subsequent-events note in Upwork’s 10-Q for the quarter to 30 September 2026. Upwork paid from cash on hand and had not yet allocated the price between assets, liabilities and goodwill when it filed. The press announcements gave no figure, and WorkMotion said the financial terms were not being disclosed.
What is WorkMotion?
WorkMotion is a Berlin employer of record, founded in 2020, that focuses on small and mid-sized European businesses. It advertises EOR in 160+ countries, owns employing entities in more than 30 of them and can also work through independent partner companies. On 8 November 2026, its EOR pricing started at EUR 499 or USD 549 per employee per month.
What is Lifted?
Lifted is the enterprise workforce business Upwork launched in August 2025. It offers enterprises independent contractor and agent-of-record services, EOR, staff augmentation and statement-of-work projects, and Upwork is moving its own Enterprise clients onto the Lifted platform. WorkMotion is Lifted’s third acquisition, after Bubty and Ascen in 2025.
Sources
The sources behind this story, grouped by type. Dates show when each was published or when we last checked it.
Announcements and filings
6 sourcesUpwork (investor relations) · investors.upwork.com
Upwork Reports Third Quarter 2026 Financial Results
Published 2 Nov 2026
Upwork Inc. / US SEC (EDGAR) · sec.gov
Published 2 Nov 2026
Lifted (an Upwork company) · go-lifted.com
Published 2 Nov 2026
WorkMotion · workmotion.com
Lifted, an Upwork company, acquires WorkMotion
Published 3 Nov 2026
Silverpeak · silverpeakib.com
Silverpeak advises WorkMotion on its sale to Upwork
Published 3 Nov 2026
Upwork (investor relations) · investors.upwork.com
Published 19 Aug 2025
Company pages and terms
7 sourcesWorkMotion · workmotion.com
WorkMotion Software GmbH Terms & Conditions (EOR, Direct Hiring, JCA, Contractors and DPA), PDF
Published 13 Apr 2026
WorkMotion (help center) · workmotion-bi2a4.stonly.com
Does WorkMotion have and need an employee leasing license?
Checked 8 Nov 2026
WorkMotion · workmotion.com
Checked 8 Nov 2026
WorkMotion · workmotion.com
Checked 8 Nov 2026
WorkMotion · workmotion.com
Checked 8 Nov 2026
Lifted (an Upwork company) · go-lifted.com
Checked 8 Nov 2026
Lifted (talent support) · talentsupport.go-lifted.com
What to Expect When Moving to Lifted
Checked 8 Nov 2026
Laws and regulators
3 sourcesGerman Federal Ministry of Justice (gesetze-im-internet.de)
§ 1 AÜG (Arbeitnehmerüberlassungsgesetz)
Checked 8 Nov 2026
German Federal Ministry of Justice (gesetze-im-internet.de)
§ 8 AÜG, Grundsatz der Gleichstellung
Checked 8 Nov 2026
German Federal Ministry of Justice (gesetze-im-internet.de)
§ 15 AktG, Verbundene Unternehmen
Checked 8 Nov 2026
Press and analysis
3 sourcesEarnings Whispers · earningswhispers.com
Upwork (UPWK) Q3 2026 earnings call transcript
Published 2 Nov 2026
TradingKey · tradingkey.com
Upwork (UPWK) Q3 2026 Earnings Call: 34.4% EBITDA Margin, AI GSV Up 55%
Published 3 Nov 2026
Staffing Industry Analysts · staffingindustry.com
Upwork Q3 revenue falls 8.0%; subsidiary acquires EOR provider WorkMotion
Published 3 Nov 2026
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This article reports company announcements, filings and public pages as they stood on the dates shown. It is general information, not legal, tax, accounting or financial advice. Provider terms change, so confirm the current terms in writing before you sign. Read our fact-checking standards or report a correction.
