While artificial intelligence has rapidly transformed productivity tools for office workers, a much larger segment of the global workforce has often been overlooked. Across industries such as healthcare, hospitality, retail, logistics, and warehousing, billions of frontline employees continue to rely on outdated recruitment and workforce management processes. Hiring, onboarding, scheduling, and employee engagement frequently depend on manual workflows, phone calls, spreadsheets, and disconnected systems. Spanish startup Orbio is aiming to modernise this landscape through artificial intelligence, and the company has now secured significant funding to accelerate its growth.
Orbio has announced a $21 million Series A funding round led by Dawn Capital, with participation from existing investors including Visionaries.
The investment will support the continued development of the company’s AI workforce platform and help expand its presence across international markets.
Addressing a Massive Workforce Challenge
Around 80 percent of the global workforce operates in frontline roles.
These employees include healthcare professionals, retail staff, warehouse operators, hospitality workers, and logistics personnel who play a critical role in keeping economies functioning.
Despite their importance, workforce management systems have traditionally been designed for office based employees who have access to corporate software, company email accounts, and digital collaboration tools.
Frontline workers often operate in very different environments.
They are frequently deskless, communicate through messaging applications and phone calls, and require a more flexible approach to workforce engagement.
As a result, many organisations still depend on labour intensive administrative processes to recruit, onboard, and manage employees.
Building an AI Workforce Platform
Orbio has developed an AI powered platform specifically designed for frontline industries.
The company uses intelligent AI agents that can support employees and employers throughout the entire workforce lifecycle.
The platform can conduct candidate interviews, evaluate skills and motivation, assist with onboarding, monitor engagement levels, and identify signals that may indicate employee turnover risks.
Rather than focusing solely on recruitment, Orbio’s technology remains connected with employees from the moment they apply for a position until the end of their employment journey.
This continuous engagement model enables organisations to provide support, improve communication, and reduce administrative burdens at scale.
Faster Hiring and Better Workforce Retention
One of the company’s primary goals is to help businesses connect with candidates more quickly and efficiently.
According to Orbio, candidates can be contacted within seconds of applying, while onboarding processes that traditionally take days can be completed within hours.
The platform also helps employers remain connected with workers throughout their employment, creating opportunities to improve engagement and retention.
By automating repetitive workforce management tasks, organisations can reduce operational complexity while maintaining a stronger connection with employees.
The company believes this approach addresses what it sees as a talent allocation challenge rather than a talent shortage problem.
Its objective is to help employers identify, engage, and retain suitable candidates faster while providing workers with better opportunities for long term career development.
Delivering Results for Enterprise Customers
Orbio already works with customers across Europe, the United States, and Latin America.
Its client base includes major organisations such as Poke House and YUM! Brands, the parent company behind restaurant brands including KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut.
The company has also achieved notable results within healthcare services.
One example is its partnership with The Stepping Stones Group, a behavioural health provider in the United States.
What began as a pilot project expanded significantly and now supports workforce operations across the organisation.
The platform assumed responsibility for interview scheduling from the outset, allowing internal teams to focus on higher value activities.
The organisation reported improvements in candidate conversion rates, interview attendance, and overall candidate satisfaction.
Scaling the Future of Frontline Work
The newly secured funding will be used to support Orbio’s international expansion while continuing development of its AI agent platform.
The company plans to strengthen capabilities across every stage of the employee lifecycle, from recruitment and onboarding to retention and workforce engagement.
As labour shortages, rising operational costs, and workforce complexity continue to challenge organisations worldwide, Orbio is positioning itself as a technology partner focused on helping employers build more resilient frontline operations. By combining automation, artificial intelligence, and continuous employee engagement, the company aims to redefine how businesses attract, manage, and support the workers who keep essential industries running every day.