Fronted raises approximately €1.7 million in seed funding

Fronted, a Norwegian HR technology startup, raised approximately €1.7 million (NOK 18 million) in a seed round led by Swedish investment firm Kaknäs Invest. The company announced the financing on November 1, 2026.

Skagerak Capital joined the round alongside existing investors Sondo Capital, Antler and Play Capital. New angel investors included Eirik Frøyland Rime and Felix Erhardt.

What does Fronted sell?

Fronted operates an AI-native platform for international hiring and business expansion, the company said. It combines cross-border recruitment, Employer of Record (EOR) services, and legal entity setup and management in one offering.

Businesses entering new markets often must coordinate local employment requirements, payroll providers, and legal entities across several jurisdictions, Fronted said. Its integrated platform brings those functions together rather than requiring customers to work with separate vendors.

Fronted says its technology automates recurring administrative processes while accounting for local labour laws and employment requirements. The system handles payroll calculations, tax reconciliations, and employment contract generation across jurisdictions.

Fronted aims to simplify the administrative and regulatory work involved in hiring employees across borders. The company says its AI-native architecture seeks to reduce manual work and operating costs while supporting customers expanding internationally. Headquartered in Norway, Fronted has established operational infrastructure in more than 20 countries.

Marius Blaker Høgevold, co-founder and CEO of Fronted, said:

“Fronted was built on a simple premise: operating in any country should be as easy as operating at home. Fast-growing companies are too often held back by legacy providers that stack hidden fees, lock clients into long contracts, and offer terrible customer support.

We are building the invisible software layer that takes away the headache of cross-border administration, giving ambitious companies a trusted Nordic partner to scale globally with total transparency and ease.

We are proud to be a Nordic alternative to global HR giants,firmly on the side of the growth companies we serve.”

How fast is Fronted growing?

Fronted reported that annual recurring revenue (ARR) increased fourfold over the 12 months preceding the announcement. It serves close to 100 businesses across Europe and the United States.

Customers include Easee, Auk, Two, Kravia, Prop Firm Match, and Wheel.me, according to Fronted. The company operates with 30 employees distributed across ten countries.

How will the seed money be used?

Fronted will use the capital to accelerate sales and market expansion, the company said. It plans to extend operational infrastructure from more than 20 countries to 70 and invest in its AI-powered payroll engine.

Fronted says the expansion will reach more markets where businesses may need support with employment compliance, payroll, and the establishment or management of local entities. Its approach centers on combining those functions within one service rather than relying on multiple vendors.

Why did the investors back Fronted?

Kaknäs Invest and Skagerak Capital pointed to the opportunity to apply software and automation to international employment services. Both investors said many processes in the market still depend on manual operations.

Tone Kvåle, Investment Manager at Skagerak Capital, said:

“The biggest opportunities in software right now are in services where the software does the work itself. Global employment is a good example.

Fronted delivers the full service with the technology doing the heavy lifting, so the model gets better and cheaper with every process it automates.The founders have proven that they can build successful companies before, and now also with Fronted.”

Patrik Hamilton, CEO of Kaknäs Invest, said:

“Employer of Record and entity management are among the fastest growing categories in global HR tech, but the market is still dominated by players that have built their platforms and delivery on manual processes and legacy systems.

Fronted challenges this with an AI-native architecture that makes them structurally different, not just faster but fundamentally more scalable.

We at Kaknäs Invest very much look forward to supporting and following Hans, Marius and the rest of the team as they build the company.”

Who runs the company?

Fronted was co-founded by Marius Blaker Høgevold and Hans Nyvold Kjellby. Høgevold is the CEO and previously served as chief operating officer at cryptocurrency exchange Firi. Kjellby co-founded Y Combinator-backed SafetyWing.

Chief Strategy Officer Håvard Liltvedt Dalen and other executives bring experience from international HR technology companies Deel and Remote. The 30-person team is distributed across ten countries, reflecting the cross-border workforce model supported by Fronted's platform.

Fronted enters its next phase with fourfold ARR growth over 12 months, close to 100 customers and a plan for 70-country operations. Its stated priority is to turn broader market coverage and deeper payroll automation into a more scalable alternative to legacy cross-border employment providers.