Workmate

About Workmate

Workmate operates as an end-to-end workforce management platform targeting the blue-collar labor market in Southeast Asia. The company was founded in January 2016, initially as Helpster, by Mathew Ward and John Srivorakul Stephens, rebranding to Workmate in November 2019. Ward, a New Zealand native with extensive experience in Asia's tech scene, including roles at Admax Network and Lotame, identified a gap in the market for organizing the informal workforce after exiting a previous business. This experience shaped Workmate's direction, aiming to solve the inconsistency of income for blue-collar workers and the difficulties businesses faced in finding reliable manpower.

The firm is headquartered in Singapore with operational offices in Thailand and Indonesia. In October 2022, Workmate was acquired by the Japanese HR conglomerate PERSOL Asia Pacific, a move intended to accelerate regional expansion by combining Workmate's technology with PERSOL's infrastructure. Mathew Ward stepped down as CEO in May 2024. The business model functions as a 'Workforce-as-a-service', automating the entire staffing process from recruitment through to payment. The platform serves enterprise clients primarily in the logistics, warehousing, F&B, and hospitality sectors, counting companies like aCommerce, Lazada, JD Central, and Foodpanda among its customers. Revenue is generated by replacing traditional manpower agencies, which can charge high fees, with a more direct and automated solution.

Workmate's core offering is a technology platform that streamlines the management of contingent staff. For businesses, it automates hiring, onboarding, scheduling, and attendance tracking, and provides real-time performance analytics. Companies can access a network of over 50,000 pre-vetted workers and manage them through the platform, which includes tools for viewing worker profiles, performance history, and managing payroll and contracts. For workers, the Workmate App provides access to a consistent stream of job offers from reputable companies tailored to their skills. The platform also offers benefits such as protection from wage fraud, social security, and plans for insurance and financial support, aiming to make informal work a more viable livelihood.