AI startup Borderless AI launches with $27 million in funding to speed up global hiring

Investment in artificial intelligence (AI) remains red hot as investors continue to pour billions into promising AI technologies. The latest player to ride the AI funding wave is Borderless AI, a Toronto-based startup leveraging generative AI to revolutionize team onboarding and payment management.

Borderless AI funding comes at a time when the HR startup space is experiencing a notable surge in growth and venture capital backing, especially among firms specializing in “employers of record.” This trend, fueled by the pandemic’s disruption, has intensified employers’ interest in hiring across diverse locations. Major players like Remote, Velocity Global, and Deel have secured massive funding rounds exceeding $300 million, highlighting the escalating demand for global hiring solutions.

Amid this competitive landscape, Borderless AI emerged from stealth today with a bang, securing $27 million in seed funding for its groundbreaking “AI agent,” Alberni. This AI agent revolutionizes HR processes by automating tasks such as onboarding and international payroll processing, promising to slash processing times from days to just minutes.

The funding round was led by renowned investment firms Susquehanna and Aglaé Ventures, the venture capital company backed by Bernard Arnault. While specifics about the company’s valuation post-fundraise remain undisclosed, the significance of this investment is palpable.

Founded by industry veterans Willson Cross (CEO) and Sean Aggarwal, Borderless AI leverages an AI-powered human resource management platform to redefine how businesses manage their workforce. Cross, with prior experience co-founding Canadian pet services platform GoFetch, brings invaluable expertise to the table, while Aggarwal’s stint as the former chair and current lead independent director of the board at ride-sharing giant Lyft adds depth to the team’s leadership. Aggarwal was also a former finance executive at Trulia, PayPal, and eBay.

In an exclusive interview with Reuters, Cross shared insights into Borderless AI’s ambitious plans fueled by the latest funding round. The company aims to utilize the fresh capital injection to fuel expansion into untapped markets and further enhance its AI product suite.

This funding announcement underscores the fervor surrounding AI investments, which dominated the venture capital landscape last year despite broader market volatility. According to data from PitchBook, AI-related startups captured a staggering one-third of all VC investments in the U.S. in 2023, cementing the sector’s prominence.

The allure of AI technologies, particularly those capable of generating human-like responses to written prompts, has fueled an unprecedented demand for AI applications. Borderless AI’s innovative model, dubbed Alberni, epitomizes this trend. Alberni boasts the ability to craft employment contracts, analyze legal agreements, and address tax queries, empowering HR teams to slash costs and expedite operations.

Remarkably, Alberni supports 170 languages and can tackle complex challenges while automating processes within a mere 10 minutes, according to company claims. CEO Willson Cross emphasized that Borderless AI’s mission isn’t to replace human resources professionals but to augment their capabilities, making their roles more efficient and seamless.

“This isn’t going to replace the people behind the HR function, but instead, the goal is to make their jobs easier, more seamless, and more efficient,” Cross told Reuters.

Among Borderless AI’s esteemed clientele are industry leaders such as dating and networking app Raya, global architecture firm MG2, and fintech startup Affiniti, underscoring the broad applicability and appeal of its AI solutions.

As Borderless AI continues to disrupt traditional paradigms in human resource management with its cutting-edge AI technology, the latest investment infusion positions the company for accelerated growth and innovation in the ever-evolving landscape of artificial intelligence.