Sergi Bastardas spent a decade at Amazon and later at floriculture startup Colvin, and one thing kept bugging him: companies just didn't have enough efficient "human infrastructure" to manage the workers behind the scenes.
So in 2025, he and co-founders Nacho Travesí and Antonio Melé launched Orbio, an enterprise startup that uses AI agents to help businesses hire and manage frontline workers. On Monday, the company announced a $21 million Series A round led by Dawn Capital.
Orbio's customers already include Poke and YUM! Brands — the company behind Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and KFC. Bastardas said customers are moving from pilot programs to full deployment. At behavioral health provider The Stepping Stones Group, Orbio now runs the company's entire US operation, and 20% more candidates are making it through to get hired.
The startup is tapping into a massive market: frontline workers make up about 80% of the global workforce, but most HR tech focuses on desk jobs. Orbio's AI agents handle everything from screening candidates to onboarding paperwork, cutting the time managers spend on hiring.
What Orbio actually does
The platform uses AI agents to automate repetitive tasks in the hiring workflow. Instead of a manager manually reviewing hundreds of applications, Orbio's bots screen candidates, schedule interviews, and even handle compliance checks. Once someone is hired, the system walks them through paperwork, training modules, and policy acknowledgments.
Bastardas said the idea came from watching managers at Amazon and Colvin struggle to keep up with hiring surges. "It didn't scale."
The money and the market
The $21 million Series A is a big bet on a space that has historically been underserved by venture capital. Dawn Capital led the round, joining existing investors who backed Orbio's seed round earlier this year.
Frontline workers include everyone from fast-food cashiers to warehouse pickers to home health aides. Turnover in these roles can exceed 100% annually at some companies, meaning hiring is a constant, expensive churn. Orbio's pitch: automate the parts of hiring that don't need a human, so managers can focus on retention and culture.
What's next
Orbio plans to use the funding to expand its sales team and improve its AI models. The company is also eyeing international markets, though Bastardas said the immediate focus is on the US.
For now, the startup is riding a wave of interest in AI agents — software that doesn't just analyze data but actually performs tasks. If Orbio can prove its bots save time and money at scale, it could become a standard tool for companies that employ thousands of frontline workers.