WorkBridge is an outsourcing matching and escrow-payment platform connecting client companies with contractors (freelancers and partner companies). Used at a scale of 50,000+ registered workers and ¥580M in transaction volume, it is one of Japan's leading crowdsourcing platforms.
Matching, payment safeguarding, communication and settlement automation — the launch story of a new platform that satisfies all four axes required for outsourced transactions at once, built in-house from scratch in 14 months.
WorkBridge Inc. operates an outsourcing transaction platform that matches client companies with contractors (freelancers and partner companies). With over 50,000 registered workers, it closes remote deals nationwide, centered on IT development, design and data.
Starting from matching projects with contractors, the business model provides online interviews, contracts, escrow payment and fee settlement in one stop. It is a transaction-volume-linked marketplace where an operating fee is generated each time a deal closes.
None of these were technology-selection issues, but business requirements tied directly to matching efficiency, payment safety, transaction experience and operating cost. A ground-up build required a design that satisfies them all at once.
Relying on referrals and personal networks, finding a trustworthy contractor takes days to weeks. You need a way to instantly surface the best match from skills, terms and track record.
Left to direct bank transfers between the parties, unpaid or advance-payment trouble arises. Funds must be held safely and reliably paid out after the work is completed.
When interviews, chat and progress are scattered across external tools, conversations get lost and misalignment arises. You need to design a transaction experience that is complete on a single platform.
Relying on manual deposits, distribution and fee calculation, operating costs balloon as transactions grow. Without automating payment through settlement, business scaling hits a ceiling.
We built all four domains — matching, payment safeguarding, communication and settlement — in-house from scratch, not as a patchwork of external tools. Search engine, real-time messaging, video interviews and bank API integration are unified into one platform, supporting transactions end-to-end from start to finish.
EXECUTION
Next.js
React
Tailwind
Laravel
PHP
Elasticsearch
AWS
MySQL
Redis
This platform continuously produces business outcomes — matching speed, payment safety and lean operation — rather than technical metrics.
Scoring search can present contractors matching the terms the same day.
Escrow holds the payment and reliably pays out on completion.
Connects interviews, chat, progress and payment seamlessly.
Settlement automation keeps operating costs down even as transactions grow.