Orbio, an innovative startup founded by Sergi Bastardas, Nacho Travesí, and Antonio Melé, has secured a substantial $21 million Series A investment led by Dawn Capital. This funding round highlights the growing interest in automating hiring and onboarding processes for frontline workers, a sector that Orbio aims to revolutionize. The company's unique approach leverages AI agents to streamline these critical operations, marking a significant shift in how businesses manage their workforce.
Bastardas' background at Amazon and Colvin, a floriculture startup, fueled his realization of the inefficiencies in managing frontline workers. This led to the creation of Orbio in 2025, which has since gained traction with notable clients like Poke and YUM! Brands. The startup's AI agents, named Maria, Daniel, and Claire, are designed to interview candidates, assess their fit, monitor performance, and conduct daily check-ins, all while ensuring a seamless and efficient employee lifecycle.
One of the key advantages of Orbio's system is its ability to generate and utilize data. Onboarding signals inform the quality of recruitment, exit interviews reveal reasons for employee turnover, and engagement data identifies potential retention issues. This data-driven approach not only enhances the hiring process but also helps businesses make informed decisions to improve their workforce management.
Orbio's primary competitors include startups like Paradox and WorkJam, which offer similar automation solutions. However, Bastardas argues that the legacy approach to managing frontline workers, often involving spreadsheets and phone calls, is the company's greatest competitor. The rapid evolution of AI is transforming this fragmented process, and Orbio is well-positioned to lead this change.
The $21 million investment will be utilized to expand Orbio's AI agents, further developing their capabilities and integrating them into more businesses. Bastardas envisions a future where the 2.7 billion people in essential industries like healthcare, retail, logistics, and hospitality have access to AI tools that can improve their work and job satisfaction. This investment not only benefits Orbio but also signals a broader shift towards more efficient and automated workforce management, marking a significant moment in the evolution of the gig economy.
