Hiring talent across borders can open new opportunities for businesses, but managing different employment laws, payroll systems and tax requirements can quickly become a complicated task. Nordic HR technology startup Fronted is aiming to simplify this process by bringing international recruitment and employment administration together on a single platform. The company has raised €1.7 million in seed funding to accelerate its international expansion and develop its artificial intelligence-powered employment technology.
Investors Back Fronted’s Global Ambitions
The €1.7 million funding round, equivalent to NOK 18 million, was led by Swedish investment firm Kaknäs Invest, with participation from Skagerak Capital. Existing investors Antler and Sondo Capital also joined the round, alongside several new angel investors.
Founded by Marius Blaker Høgevold, chief executive officer, and Hans Nyvold Kjellby, chairman and chief commercial officer, Fronted is building technology designed to help businesses expand internationally without having to coordinate multiple employment service providers.
The new capital will support commercial expansion, further development of its technology and the extension of its operational infrastructure to 70 countries.
Simplifying Cross Border Employment
Companies entering new international markets must navigate different labour laws, payroll regulations, taxation systems and employment requirements. Establishing local legal entities can add further costs, while relying on multiple service providers can make international workforce management difficult to coordinate.
These challenges can be particularly demanding for startups and growing businesses that want to recruit international talent without building a large human resources or legal team in every market.
Fronted aims to address these issues through an integrated platform that combines cross border recruitment, Employer of Record services and company entity setup and management.
Employer of Record services allow businesses to employ workers in countries where they may not have their own legal entity. The service provider handles relevant employment administration, helping companies access international talent while managing local employment requirements.
By bringing these services together, Fronted aims to reduce administrative complexity and give businesses a more transparent way to manage their global workforce.
AI Automates Payroll and Compliance Tasks
Fronted’s technology focuses on automating routine employment administration that would otherwise require significant manual work.
Its platform supports tasks such as payroll calculations, tax reconciliations and employment contract generation. By incorporating local labour regulations into its software, the company aims to help businesses manage country specific requirements more efficiently.
Artificial intelligence is central to the platform’s development, particularly its payroll engine. Automating calculations and administrative workflows could reduce repetitive work, improve consistency and help companies manage employees across multiple jurisdictions.
The approach also aims to improve pricing transparency, allowing businesses to understand the costs associated with international employment rather than navigating separate providers and disconnected processes.
For companies operating in several markets, a unified platform could make it easier to coordinate hiring, payroll and compliance activities while reducing the operational burden on internal teams.
Building an Invisible Software Layer
Fronted’s broader ambition is to make the complexity of international employment less visible to the companies using its services.
Co founder and CEO Marius Blaker Høgevold said the company wants to remove the administrative burden associated with cross border operations, giving businesses a trusted Nordic partner through which they can expand globally with greater transparency.
Rather than requiring companies to manage multiple systems and providers independently, Fronted aims to create a single point of coordination for international employment processes.
This model could appeal to businesses seeking to enter new markets quickly while maintaining greater oversight of workforce costs and administrative requirements.
Expanding to 70 Countries
With its latest funding, Fronted plans to strengthen its commercial operations, expand its infrastructure to support employment services across 70 countries and continue developing its AI powered payroll technology.
The expansion will place greater emphasis on building the operational capabilities required to support businesses across different legal and regulatory environments.
As companies increasingly recruit talent internationally, demand for streamlined employment infrastructure is creating opportunities for HR technology providers.
Fronted’s next stage of growth will depend on how effectively it combines automation, local compliance expertise and reliable international operations. With fresh funding and an expanding platform, the company aims to make global hiring simpler for businesses seeking to grow beyond their home markets.