Orbio raises $21 million to automate hiring and onboarding for frontline workers

Sergi Bastardas, after spending ten years at Amazon and a stint with the floriculture startup Colvin, recognized a significant gap in the efficiency of managing frontline workers. This realization led him, in 2025, to co-found Orbio alongside Nacho Travesí and Antonio Melé. The startup is dedicated to enhancing the management of frontline employees through innovative AI agents. Recently, Orbio announced a successful $21 million Series A funding round, spearheaded by Dawn Capital. Their clientele already includes notable names such as Poke and YUM! Brands, the parent company of Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and KFC, which utilize the platform for onboarding and managing their frontline workforce. Bastardas shared that clients are transitioning from pilot programs to full-scale implementations. For instance, at The Stepping Stones Group, a behavioral health provider, Orbio is now overseeing the entire U.S. operation, resulting in a 20% increase in candidate hiring success. The AI agents—Maria, Daniel, and Claire—are designed to streamline the hiring process by conducting interviews, evaluating candidate suitability, monitoring employee performance, and facilitating daily check-ins throughout an employee's tenure. Bastardas emphasized that this technology aims to enable businesses to manage their workforces autonomously while still supporting and engaging workers. Each AI agent collects valuable data that enhances the overall system: insights from onboarding inform recruitment quality, exit interviews provide feedback on employee retention, and engagement analytics help identify potential turnover risks. While Orbio competes with other startups like Paradox and WorkJam, Bastardas identifies the traditional methods of managing frontline workers—often reliant on outdated processes, spreadsheets, and phone calls—as their primary competition. With a total of $26 million raised from investors, including Visionaries and 2100 Ventures, Bastardas plans to utilize the new funding to expand their team and further develop AI agents. He believes this advancement signifies a transformative moment for both businesses and the workforce. "The 2.7 billion individuals who drive the healthcare, retail, logistics, and hospitality sectors, many of whom lack corporate email addresses, are now poised to benefit from this AI revolution," he stated.