Upwork Inc. announced plans to establish its first international operational hub in Lisbon, Portugal, marking a major step in scaling its AI innovation and global technical workforce. The new office, located in Alcântara, will serve as a core base for product development and engineering, expected to open by Q4 2026.
CEO Hayden Brown shared the news at Web Summit 2025 alongside Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas, who welcomed Upwork as the city’s 17th unicorn investment. Brown highlighted Lisbon’s strong talent pool, creativity, and pro-innovation policies as key reasons for the expansion.
Following a record-breaking quarter, with a 53% year-over-year surge in AI-related work, Upwork aims to deepen its AI capabilities through the Lisbon hub. CTO Andrew Rabinovich emphasized that the new center will be vital to scaling Upwork’s AI infrastructure and fueling the company’s next growth phase.
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