Norwegian startup gets €1.7 million seed to expand global hiring platform

Norwegian HR tech startup Fronted has raised about €1.7 million (NOK 18 million) in a seed round led by Swedish investment firm Kaknäs Invest. Skagerak Capital also participated, along with existing investors Sondo, Antler and Play Capital and new angels including Eirik Frøyland Rime and Felix Erhardt.

Fronted offers an AI-native platform that combines cross-border recruitment, Employer of Record (EOR) services, and legal entity setup and management, so companies expanding abroad don't have to juggle separate providers. It uses AI and automation for tasks such as payroll calculations, tax reconciliations and employment contract generation across jurisdictions, while accounting for local labour laws. The company says annual recurring revenue grew fourfold over the past 12 months. It serves close to 100 businesses in Europe and the US, including Easee, Auk, Two, Kravia, Prop Firm Match and Wheel.me.

The money will go toward sales and market expansion, extending operational infrastructure from 20 to 70 countries, and developing its AI-powered payroll engine.

CEO and co-founder Marius Blaker Høgevold, formerly COO at crypto exchange Firi, positions Fronted as a Nordic alternative to global HR giants, criticising legacy providers for hidden fees, long contracts and poor support. Co-founder Hans Nyvold Kjellby previously co-founded Y Combinator-backed SafetyWing. The leadership team includes Chief Strategy Officer Håvard Liltvedt Dalen and executives with experience at Deel and Remote. The team has 30 employees spread across ten countries.

Investors framed the bet around automation. Kaknäs Invest CEO Patrik Hamilton said EOR and entity management are among the fastest-growing HR tech categories but are still dominated by players built on manual processes and legacy systems, and he argued Fronted's architecture makes it more scalable. Skagerak's Tone Kvåle said the model becomes cheaper and better with each process automated.