Freelance career platform UnderPinned partners with fintech firms Digital Risks and Finmo as it launches full membership product

UnderPinned, the go-to platform for freelancers to find work, manage work and get paid, today launches its full paid-for membership product while also announcing partnerships with fintech trailblazers Digital Risks and Finmo.

The full service will provide UnderPinned members with a one-stop shop for managing their freelance life, helping them to build successful and fulfilling careers. Members will be given access to UnderPinned’s Virtual Office, a cloud-based career management portal which includes services for portfolio and project management, invoicing and contracts.

They will also gain access to accounting and insurance third-party services integrated with the UnderPinned platform at no additional cost. These include Digital Risks, an insurtech firm which will give members access to commercial legal protection and a free 24-hour help line for legal and tax issues, and freelance financial management tool Finmo, which will offer members an easy and convenient service for staying on top of their accounting.

Underlying the need for better infrastructure for freelancers, research carried out by UnderPinned has found that an overwhelming number of freelancers lack proper employment protection, with less than a third (29%) signing a contract when they carry out a job. UnderPinned’s easy to use contracting service has been created to help freelancers and their clients get the protection they need.

Imminent changes to IR35 tax rules could also be a financial hurdle for freelancers, yet almost three quarters (74%) have no idea how the new regulation will impact them, stressing the need for better education and support in this area.

Albert Azis-Clauson, CEO and Founder of UnderPinned, said: “Freelancing offers fantastic career opportunities and enables you to be your own boss, but as our research shows, it does have its challenges. While the growth in popularity of freelance work is still a fairly recent trend, as it stands, the infrastructure to support and protect this way of life just doesn’t exist.

“We believe that our platform gives freelancers a unique set of tools, providing end-to-end support to build successful and fulfilling freelance careers, while helping to avoid common pitfalls and reduce the administrative burden of freelance life.”

J.D. Rainey, CEO of Finmo, said: “We are excited to partner with UnderPinned and further our shared mission to make freelancing easier and less stressful. UnderPinned Members can download and use Finmo for free and will receive discounts on Finmo’s already low-cost accounting services.”

“We are delighted to support UnderPinned’s launch of their full-service product. UnderPinned’s relentless focus on what’s best for the freelancer resonated with our mission, making this an easy partnership to say yes to.”

UnderPinned officially launched in March 2019, and while developing its product, partnerships and services, has amassed 2000 members. The new premium product will cost £7.99 per month.

Cameron Shearer, CEO of Digital Risks, added: “We’re passionate about providing flexible, cost effective insurance to freelancers and SMEs of all sizes, and we’re delighted to partner with UnderPinned, as its platform leads the way in serving the needs of a growing population of freelancers.

“Keeping track of legislation can be hard at the best of times for freelancers, with many solely focused on the job at hand, while becoming embroiled in a legal dispute – whether pursuing or defending a claim – can also be stressful and costly. Our service through UnderPinned means that freelancers can sleep easy, knowing that if the unthinkable happens, such as a contract dispute or tax issue, our helpline and response team will do the hard work for them.”

Lead investor Simon Williams, Chairman of Crowdcube, said: “UnderPinned has an extraordinary vision of the future; UnderPinned has carved out a space where there is a void in the huge and fast-growing freelance market. I believe that very few companies will play a central role in determining what lies ahead – one of these companies will be UnderPinned.”