UK startup Borderless tackles care worker shortage with £2.5M seed funding

Borderless, a UK-based startup that’s taking aim at the country’s shortage of care workers has today announced a £2.5 million seed funding round. The startup offers care providers automated vetting and sourcing, one-click visa processing, and streamlined relocation management services.

Backed VC led the round with participation from Tiny VC. The company also received the support of a number of angel investors including former Microsoft executive Charlie Songhurst and Entrepreneur First venture partner Chris Mairs.

According to a report filed in March of this year by the BBC, the average worker churn in the care industry is 50 percent year-over-year. Combine this statistic with an estimate provided by the NHS that the number of people aged over 85 is expected to grow 55 percent by 2037 and just one of the problems that Borderless is taking on becomes apparent.

However, the bad news for the UK healthcare system doesn’t just stop at a shortfall, as the BBC reported last month that the number of modern slavery cases reported within the UK care industry has more than doubled in the past year.

Looking to address a number of issues facing this industry and homogenising a historically fragmented process, Borderless is offering an automation solution that encompasses the hiring and onboarding of international workers, including recruitment, immigration, relocation, and compliance; effectively removing the need for intermediary organisations.

According to the company, its offer not only provides workers with clear oversight over the recruitment process, thereby minimising the opportunity for nefarious parties to get involved, but also gives employers a streamlined solution that reduces both the costs and risk involved with hiring international staff.

“We all have ageing parents and grandparents and are keenly aware of the rapidly increasing average age in the UK. The number of care professionals must grow from 1.7 million today to 2.6 million by 2030, to satisfy demand and ensure a good level of care for our elderly,” commented Borderless co-founder Jonathan Raphael. “Despite huge numbers of talented workers, both overseas and increasing in the UK, complex processes for employers have become major barriers. Not to mention the terrible experience for candidates who can end up resorting to shady third parties that charge them - sometimes up to £20,000 - to find a job. We want to permanently solve this."

For the moment Borderless is focusing on care providers with up to 500 employees, however, the company has its long-term sights on working with the majority of the UK healthcare sector and helping alleviate staff shortages within the NHS itself.

On the investment, Backed's Alex Brunicki commented:

"It’s troubling to know that a sector fundamentally about taking care of people is tainted and constrained by so much human exploitation. And at the same time, sectors where blue-collar immigration is most relevant - like care and construction - are also those with more limited technical innovation, presenting a talented team like Borderless with huge opportunities to create and capture value. So we love what Matt and Jonathan are trying to build, the reasons why they’re building it, and the clear incentives to getting it right."

Lead image: Borderless founders Matthew Bond and Jonathan Raphael. Photo: Uncredited.