Orbio: The Madrid Startup That Turns AI into the Perfect Interviewer

What happened?

The Madrid-based startup Orbio has announced the closing of a $21 million Series A funding round (approximately €18.2 million), led by Dawn Capital with participation from Visionaries VC, Plus Partners, and Enzo Ventures. This injection adds to the €6.5 million the company raised in September 2024, totaling nearly €25 million in funding.

Orbio was founded in 2025 by three entrepreneurs: Sergi Bastardas (CEO), Nacho Travesí (CRO), and Antonio Melé (CTO). Their goal is to solve what they call the inefficient "human infrastructure" of companies by automating HR tasks using artificial intelligence agents. Their flagship product: an AI system that autonomously conducts job interviews, evaluating candidates without direct human intervention.

Why is it important?

Orbio joins a growing trend of automation in recruitment processes. While tools like chatbots or resume screening systems have been on the market for years, the ability of an AI agent to maintain a fluid conversation, ask follow-up questions, and evaluate responses in real time represents a qualitative leap. According to the source from Xataka, interviewees who have gone through similar processes have reported negative experiences, pointing to a "dehumanization" that causes discomfort and distrust.

The funding round demonstrates investor confidence in Orbio's business model. The company plans to triple its engineering team in Madrid and aggressively expand into the US market, where AI adoption in HR is faster. This could accelerate the global implementation of such technologies.

What consequences will it have?

For companies

Orbio offers efficiency, cost reduction, and standardization in recruitment processes. Companies will be able to process a larger volume of candidates in less time, with supposedly objective evaluation (although algorithmic biases remain a risk). However, the lack of human interaction can affect the candidate experience and the ability to detect soft skills or cultural fit that require human judgment.

For candidates

Applicants will face a more impersonal process, where the first impression is made by a machine. This can cause anxiety or a sense of unfairness if the algorithm is not transparent. On the other hand, it could reduce unconscious biases of human recruiters, provided the system is well-designed.

For the labor market

The automation of interviews could displace junior recruiters and change the profile of HR professionals toward more strategic roles and AI supervision. It could also accelerate the trend of outsourcing recruitment processes.

What should readers know?

• Orbio is not an isolated case: Other startups like HireVue or Pymetrics already use AI in selection, but Orbio focuses on the complete conversational interview.
• Regulation on the horizon: The EU is working on the AI Act, which will classify selection systems as high-risk, requiring transparency and human oversight.
• Data quality is key: Biases in training data can perpetuate discrimination. Orbio must demonstrate fairness in its evaluations.
• Social acceptance is uncertain: Candidate rejection of being interviewed by an AI could slow adoption, especially in sectors where the human factor is valued.

"AI can be the perfect interviewer for companies, but is it for candidates?" — reflection extracted from the Xataka article.

Conclusion

Orbio represents another step in the integration of AI into critical people management processes. Its success will depend not only on the technology but also on how it manages public perception and ethical challenges. The coming months will be key to seeing if this Madrid startup can conquer the US market and set the pace for digital transformation in HR.