Firstwork raises $15M Series A led by Earlybird for frontline hiring AI

Firstwork has raised a $15 million Series A, which is over ₹142 Cr. Earlybird Venture Capital led the round, as reported by Inc42 and others. The company has raised $20 million in total since its 2024 launch. It did not disclose its valuation.

Inc42 and the company's own site list Legion VC, Deel Ventures, and existing investors Gradient and Y Combinator in the round. Indian Startup News, citing reports, also names SOMA Capital, 468 Capital and Houghton Street Ventures. Indian Startup News was the first to report that the company employs roughly 45 people and plans a London office. It also first reported a $5 million seed round in February 2025.

Firstwork builds AI agents for frontline hiring. They handle document checks, right-to-work and background checks, training, onboarding and compliance. They sit on top of existing HR, payroll and screening systems. Each month, the platform helps more than 1.5 lakh frontline workers begin their jobs. Co-founder and CEO Vardhan Kapoor said: "The systems employers rely on were built to record what happened, not to actually do the work." Shubham Choudhary is co-founder and CTO. Tim Rehder is General Partner at Earlybird Venture Capital.

The funds will go towards growing teams, expanding in the US and Europe, and adding more agents. Next, the agents will cover re-verification, credential renewals, recurring training and compliance management.