View source for Toptal

{{short description|Global freelance employment marketplace}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Toptal, LLC
| logo = Toptal-Logo-Main-Colors_RGB.png
| type = [[Private company|Private]]
| founders = Taso Du Val <br/> Breanden Beneschott
| foundation = {{start date and age|2010}}
| location =
| industry = [[Freelance marketplace|Freelance]]
| area_served = Worldwide
| key_people = Taso Du Val (CEO)
| website = {{URL|https://www.toptal.com}}
}}
'''Toptal''' is a global [[remote company]] that provides a freelancing platform, connecting businesses with software engineers, designers, finance experts, product managers, and project managers. The company has no headquarters.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://remote.co/company/toptal/|title=Toptal|date=2020-02-07|website=Remote.co|language=en-US|access-date=2020-02-16}}</ref>
== History ==
Taso Du Val and Breanden Beneschott founded the company in 2010. Du Val was previously an engineer at [[Fotolog]] and Slide.com<ref name="Soshana 2018" /><ref name="Ankeny 2018">{{Cite news|url=https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/249338|title=Why a High School Dropout's Staffing Company Is in a Class of Its Own|last=Ankeny|first=Jason|date=8 September 2015|work=Entrepreneur Magazine|access-date=2018-07-02|language=en}}</ref> while Beneschott was an undergraduate at  [[Princeton University]].<ref name="Hartmans 2018">{{Cite news|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/toptal-founder-braenden-beneschott-2016-9|title=This startup has no offices and unlimited vacation, and its cofounder has lived in more than 30 countries in 5 years|last=Hartmans|first=Avery|date=17 September 2016|work=Business Insider|access-date=2018-07-02}}</ref> The name stands for "top talent", and it was started as a [[virtual company]] with no dedicated offices.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.inc.com/magazine/201711/kate-rockwood/toptal-freelance-network.html|title=How to Build a $100 Million-Revenue Business With Zero Offices|last=Rockwood|first=Kate|date=26 October 2017|work=Inc. Magazine|access-date=2018-07-02}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/03/virtual-companies-answer-demand-for-better-quality-of-life.html|title=The dream job that's all the rage across America|last=Caminiti|first=Susan|date=3 April 2018|work=CNBC|access-date=2018-07-02}}</ref>
Toptal had more than $1 million in revenue by the time Beneschott graduated from Princeton.<ref name="Hartmans 2018" /> The co-founders moved to [[Budapest]], [[Hungary]] to access [[Software Developers|software developers]] with fewer employment options than in the United States.<ref name="Hartmans 2018" />
== Talent search and growth ==
The firm developed personality, language, and skills testing to remotely screen engineering candidates, and accepted the top 3% of several thousand monthly applicants.<ref name="Soshana 2018">{{Cite news|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/dropout-turned-entrepreneur-helps-find-talent-amid-engineer-squeeze/|title=Dropout turned entrepreneur helps find talent amid engineer squeeze|last=Soshana|first=Solomon|date=19 March 2017|work=The Times of Israel|access-date=2018-07-02|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="Ankeny 2018" /><ref name="Lagorio-Chafkin 2018">{{Cite news|url=https://www.inc.com/magazine/201411/christine-lagorio/how-to-build-a-killer-team-sight-unseen.html|title=How To Build A Killer Team--Sight Unseen|last=Lagorio-Chafkin|first=Christine|date=5 November 2014|work=Inc. Magazine|access-date=2018-07-02}}</ref>
The firm matches business engagements with developers from its  network and brokers the terms of each job.<ref name="Ankeny 2018" /> In 2015, it expanded to include freelance design.<ref name="Constine 2018">{{Cite news|url=https://techcrunch.com/2015/10/07/the-biggest-startup-no-one-talks-about/|title=Massive Freelance Engineer Marketplace Toptal Now Sells Designers|last=Constine|first=Josh|date=7 October 2015|access-date=2018-07-02|language=en-US|website=TechCrunch}}</ref> In 2016, it acquired the freelancer platform, Skillbridge, which offered freelance accountants, statisticians, and consultants in market research, financial modeling, and due diligence.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.eweek.com/it-management/toptal-buys-skillbridge-to-advance-freelance-tech-market|title=Toptal Buys Skillbridge to Advance Freelance Tech Market|last=Taft|first=Darryl|date=6 April 2016|work=eWEEK|access-date=2018-07-02|language=en-US}}</ref> In 2017, the company launched a vertical specializing in software engineers and designers for the automotive industry.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.wardsauto.com/technology/supplier-toptal-fill-extreme-high-skilled-talent-gap|title=Supplier Toptal to Fill ‘Extreme High-Skilled Talent Gap’|last=Winter|first=Drew|date=28 November 2017|work=WardsAuto|access-date=2018-07-02}}</ref> It also launched a vertical for [[blockchain]] engineers in February 2018.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://techcrunch.com/2018/02/14/blockchain-engineers-are-in-demand/|title=Blockchain engineers are in demand|last=Stein|first=Samantha|date=14 February 2018|access-date=2018-07-02|publisher=TechCrunch|language=en-US}}</ref>
== Funding ==
Toptal accepted a $1.4 million [[seed round]] of financing from [[Andreessen Horowitz]] and [[angel investor]]s including [[Quora]] founder [[Adam D'Angelo]].<ref name="Constine 2018" /> The company is said not to have raised additional funds since its seed round because it has been profitable.<ref name="Constine 2018" /> In 2015 and 2016, Toptal's annual revenue was $80 million and $100 million respectively.<ref name="Ankeny 2018" /><ref name="Hartmans 2018" />
==References==
{{reflist|30em}}
==External links==
*{{Official website|https://www.toptal.com/}}
[[Category:Remote companies]]
[[Category:Online marketplaces of the United States]]
[[Category:Online employment auction websites]]
[[Category:Freelance marketplace websites]]
[[Category:Employment websites]]