16. Distributed

Founders: Callum Adamson and Sam Rowlands
Founded: 2017
Website: distributed.co

Since the pandemic hit, the world of work has changed unrecognisably, with businesses worldwide now grappling with the merits of working with remote teams, or instead rebuilding an office-based culture. Distributed, meanwhile, has lent fully into the remote working model, growing its business rapidly while offering structured benefits to its teams, and adaptable support options to its clients.

While businesses across the UK mull how to convey “hybrid” or “flexible” working options to staff, Distributed has coined its own phrase – “Elastic Teams”. In effect, this is a global workforce of freelance developers, coordinated centrally via Distributed’s London office.

Distributed gives organisations – from large consultancies and enterprises to NGOs – flexible access to these Elastic Teams. It lets busy companies pursue digital projects flexibly and cost-efficiently, without needing to hire or onboard their own staff.

While businesses across the UK mull how to convey “hybrid” or “flexible” working options to staff, Distributed has coined its own phrase – Elastic Teams.

Customers can use this resource as often or as little as required. The combination of freelance flexibility, quality assurance and cost efficiency means that Distributed is disrupting how businesses are delivering digital transformation initiatives and recruiting technical employees.

The benefits for businesses are considerable, but Distributed is also investing in its freelance network, too.

Distributed’s Elastic Teams receive structured career development and benefits, while retaining the flexibility associated with self-employment. An apprenticeship scheme is also in the pipeline, which will allow less experienced developers to shadow colleagues with expertise in a certain coding language or process.

Distributed’s fully vetted talent pool is a meritocracy by design, meaning the most qualified developers get equal access to high quality, well paid work – no matter their race, gender, sexuality, socio-economic class or location.

Callum Adamson, CEO and Co-founder of Distributed, says that the approach also removes historical barriers to employment. “Curating remote teams on behalf of customers levels the playing field for diversity and inclusion,” Adamson argues. “Distributed’s fully vetted talent pool is a meritocracy by design, meaning the most qualified developers get equal access to high quality, well paid work – no matter their race, gender, sexuality, socio-economic class or location.”

Since it was founded in 2017 Distributed has scaled significantly. It’s now made up of 32 core employees and 60 others in its global Elastic Team. This growth has been further driven by two rounds of venture capital funding, setting the company up for significant expansion in the years to come.