The Norwegian employer-of-record start-up has raised NOK 18M (about €1.7M) led by Stockholm's Kaknäs Invest, and wants to grow from roughly 20 countries to 70 while taking on Deel and Rippling.
Image: Fronted press image, via Tech.eu.
Fronted, a Norwegian HR-tech company that helps businesses hire and pay staff in other countries, has raised NOK 18 million, roughly €1.7 million, in a seed round led by Swedish investment firm Kaknäs Invest.
Skagerak Capital joined as the second-largest investor, according to Startup.eu and Norwegian outlet Shifter. Existing backers Sondo, Antler and Play Capital also took part, alongside angel investors including Eirik Frøyland Rime, founder of second-hand marketplace Tise, and Felix Erhardt. The round comes less than a year after Fronted announced an NOK 11 million round in autumn 2025, Shifter reports. Chief executive Marius Blaker Høgevold declined to disclose the valuation.
One provider for hiring abroad
Founded in 2023, Fronted bundles three services that companies expanding abroad often buy from different suppliers: cross-border recruitment, employer of record (EOR) services and the setup and management of local legal entities. Under the EOR model, Fronted acts as the formal employer of staff who in practice work for its clients, taking care of contracts, payroll and local employer obligations. A Norwegian company that wants to hire a salesperson in Spain, for example, can do so without first setting up a Spanish subsidiary.
According to Tech.eu, the company's software automates tasks such as payroll calculations, tax reconciliations and the generation of employment contracts, with local labour rules built into the platform. Fronted says this cuts manual work, makes pricing more transparent and simplifies compliance across jurisdictions.
"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," Høgevold said.
Fronted currently has around 30 employees, close to 100 customers and its own infrastructure in about 20 countries, according to Shifter. Høgevold was previously chief operating officer at Norwegian crypto exchange Firi. Co-founder Hans Nyvold Kjellby, who serves as chairman and chief commercial officer, comes from SafetyWing.
Taking on the global players
The company competes in a market dominated by large international players such as Deel and Rippling. Høgevold is outspoken about the state of the industry. "The EOR industry has too many cowboys, and the market is crying out for someone who can be the good guy," he said, as quoted by Startup.eu, adding that the investment "will be used to build the foundation to serve 100x more clients."
Speaking to Shifter about the global competitors, he said: "We have to work to correct the impression they have created in the market" (translated from Norwegian).
The new money will fund commercial expansion, extend Fronted's operational infrastructure to 70 countries and further develop its AI-powered payroll engine. Shifter reports that the plan is for the funding to carry the company to profitability during 2027. The Swedish lead investor also fits the company's growing interest in expanding in neighbouring Sweden.
Why it matters
Hiring across borders remains one of the most practical barriers for European start-ups trying to scale beyond their home market, and the EOR category has largely been shaped by US-headquartered platforms. Fronted is betting that a smaller, Nordic provider promising transparent pricing and human support can win growth companies that feel underserved. Going from 20 to 70 countries on a seed round is ambitious, and execution on local compliance will decide whether the pitch holds up.
Sources
- Fronted funding announcement, 29 October 2026, as reported by Tech.eu and Startup.eu
- Shifter (Norway), 29 October 2026
- Dealroom News, 29 October 2026
