21 Million Funding Closed: Orbio Helps, Doesn’t Replace, the Workforce with AI Agents

Orbio, the startup specializing in managing frontline workforce through artificial intelligence agents, recently announced the closing of a $21 million Series A funding round, led by Dawn Capital. This brings the total capital raised by the company to $26 million.

Founded in 2025 by Sergi Bastardas, Nacho Travesí, and Antonio Melé, Orbio aims to fill a gap in human management infrastructure, identified by Bastardas during his decade-long experience at Amazon and the startup Colvin. The mission is to provide companies with tools to manage their operational employees more efficiently.

Orbio's system is based on AI agents named Maria, Daniel, and Claire, capable of automating a range of critical processes. These include conducting interviews with candidates, assessing suitability, monitoring employee performance, and carrying out daily checks throughout the employment lifecycle. The goal is to enable businesses to manage their workforce autonomously, supporting operational employees while delegating specific operations to intelligent agents.

Orbio Secures $21 Million in Funding
Bastardas highlighted how each agent generates crucial data that fuels a continuous feedback loop. Onboarding signals, for example, inform about recruitment quality, while exit interviews reveal reasons for turnover, allowing for recalibration of hiring criteria. Engagement data also helps identify risks related to employee retention.

Several companies have already adopted Orbio's solutions, including Poke and YUM! Brands, the group owning chains like Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and KFC. Sergi Bastardas noted that these clients are transitioning from the pilot phase to full implementation of the software. A concrete example of the impact is observed at The Stepping Stones Group, a behavioral health service provider, where Orbio now manages the entire operation in the United States, contributing to a 20% increase in the number of hired candidates.

Orbio operates in a market with established competitors and new players. Among them are startups like Paradox, specializing in recruitment automation, and WorkJam, focused on managing frontline employees. However, Bastardas sees traditional workforce management approaches as the main competitor, a process that in sectors like healthcare, retail, and logistics is often fragmented and still based on spreadsheets and phone calls.

This setup is rapidly changing in the era of artificial intelligence. The newly raised funds, which also saw participation from Visionaries and 2100 Ventures, will be allocated to hiring new personnel and developing additional AI agents to expand the platform's capabilities.

Bastardas expressed an ambitious vision for the future, describing Orbio’s adoption as a transformation not just for companies but also for the workforce itself. Almost 3 billion people form the backbone of vital sectors such as healthcare, retail, logistics, and hospitality, often lacking a corporate email address and have never benefited from such tools. This, in his view, represents their moment for AI.