Freelancer chief executive Matt Barrie said the acquisition of a new payments platform will be a "game changer" for the crowdsourcing marketplace operator, which grew user numbers by 12.7 per cent in the first half of calendar 2015.

Shareholders have backed the company's high-growth vision, pushing its share price up 12.9 per cent on the back of its half-year results despite the fact it remains in the red.