Firstwork, an AI-powered workforce management platform designed for frontline industries, has secured US$5 million in seed funding.

The round was led by Gradient, with additional backing from Y Combinator, SOMA Capital, 468 Capital, Houghton Street Ventures, Deel Leadership, and one of the CEOs and co-founders of Job&Talent.

This investment signals strong confidence in Firstwork’s mission to modernise how frontline workers are recruited, onboarded, and managed – an area where traditional HR systems have long fallen short.

Co-founded in 2024 by Vardhan Kapoor and Shubham Choudhary, Firstwork is reimagining workforce management for industries that rely on shift-based and high-turnover workers, such as those in health care, logistics, education, and transportation.

HR tech focused on frontline workers

Despite frontline workers making up over 2 billion people globally, most HR technology has been built for static office-based roles.

The result? Clunky, outdated systems that struggle to handle fast-paced hiring cycles, high attrition, and complex compliance processes.

Many businesses still rely on manual paperwork and fragmented digital tools, making recruitment and onboarding a slow, costly, and frustrating experience for both employers and workers.

Also Read: Balancing tech and human connection

A first-hand understanding of the challenge

Kapoor, having led strategy and operations at Deliveroo in Singapore and served as Head of Region, APAC for Remitly, saw these inefficiencies play out at scale.

“These frontline roles keep healthcare, logistics, and other critical services running, yet they’re stuck in a tech vacuum,” he said.

It’s 2025, a year when agentic AI is taking the spotlight, but some hospitals are continuing to use “literal stacks of paper just to confirm a nurse’s credentials, and logistics firms chasing license renewals by text and email,” Kapoor said.

“It’s inefficient, error-prone, and drives up turnover when promising workers drop out due to disorganised processes.”

For industries where 80% of the workforce operates outside a traditional office environment, delays in hiring and onboarding can translate into staffing gaps, lost productivity, and rising operational costs.

Spikes in seasonal demand only amplify the problem, with some companies taking months to recruit and train new employees.

AI-powered efficiency for frontline teams

Firstwork’s platform is built to solve this long-standing issue. By automating key HR processes, it enables businesses to reduce onboarding time by up to 75%, cutting through administrative bottlenecks and ensuring compliance with minimal effort.

The platform leverages AI to tailor workflows to each organisation’s unique needs, allowing for seamless integration without requiring businesses to overhaul their existing HR infrastructure.

Unlike traditional HRIS platforms, which often demand costly and time-consuming retraining, Firstwork’s solution is designed for rapid adoption for organisations that require agility in their processes.

The platform is already making an impact, with customers including Relay in London and Oway in California.

Beyond just streamlining administration, Firstwork also provides AI-powered worker training to ensure that every new hire receives a personalised onboarding experience.

This feature not only aims to speed up productivity but also enhances worker engagement and retention – a key challenge in high-turnover industries.

Also Read: The rise of Human-AI recruitment

Backing from investors who see the potential

Investors have taken note of Firstwork’s potential to reshape workforce management for frontline industries.

Eylul Kayin, Partner at Gradient, highlighted why the firm decided to back Firstwork’s vision.

“The frontline workforce is the backbone of the global economy, yet it’s often overlooked and underserved by technology,” Kayin said.

“Vardhan and Shubham have a deep understanding of the challenges faced by businesses with frontline workers. Their passion for solving these challenges, combined with their impressive execution, convinced us that Firstwork has the potential to become a category-defining company. We’re excited to partner with them on this journey.”

A category-defining future

With fresh funding, Firstwork is set to expand its AI-driven capabilities, refining its platform to better serve high-growth industries that cannot afford inefficiencies.

As businesses turn to automation to optimise workforce operations, Firstwork is positioning itself at the forefront of a much-needed transformation.

Where the demand for frontline talent continues to surge, Firstwork’s AI-powered solution could prove to be the missing piece of the HR puzzle – helping businesses hire smarter, onboard faster, and retain talent more effectively.