CloudCrowd

About CloudCrowd

CloudCrowd, founded in April 2009 and later known as Servio, established a position in the business process outsourcing and crowdsourcing market. The company was co-founded by Alex Edelstein and Jordan Ritter, both of whom were instrumental in its development. Edelstein, a Harvard College graduate, brought a wealth of experience from his time in product management and engineering at companies like Netscape, Microsoft, Cloudmark, and Inktomi, where he was involved in early versions of Netscape Navigator and the original Microsoft Exchange design team.

The firm's business model centered on a proprietary online platform that deconstructed large projects into smaller, manageable microtasks. This "virtual factory" model was designed to connect a distributed workforce of independent contractors with businesses seeking to outsource tasks, thereby reducing overhead and enhancing efficiency. The platform catered to a range of clients, from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies such as Target and eBay, by offering services like content creation, translation, proofreading, and data validation. Revenue was generated by completing these customer-requested projects, which were then distributed to a workforce of over 200,000 registered individuals.

CloudCrowd's core service was its online workspace, which facilitated a structured workflow for various editorial and data-related tasks. The platform broke down complex jobs into smaller, specialized pieces, enabling a multi-layered process where different workers would handle distinct stages, such as initial translation and subsequent assembly and review. A key feature was its patent-pending Credibility Engine, which assessed worker performance to ensure quality control without constant supervision. Workers, who accessed tasks via a Facebook application, were paid for completed jobs, with payments processed daily. The company's approach allowed it to offer services like translation at a significantly lower cost and with faster turnaround times compared to traditional agencies. CloudCrowd was acquired by CrowdSource in December 2013.