International employment platform Boundless raises €2.5 million

Whether employers like it or not, the pandemic has opened all of our collective eyes to the attractiveness of remote working. Moreso, these employers have realised that they must offer remote-first jobs in order to attract top talent. However, there’s a strong chance that many employers haven’t quite dug deep enough into local compliance rules when hiring said talent. This is where Boundless becomes every hiring manager’s best friend.

The Dublin-based startup Boundless has raised €2.5 million in seed funding in order to help companies compliantly employ global talent while giving staff access to benefits in the country they work from.

“From failing to register workers in the proper jurisdiction through to incorrectly hiring people as contractors to perform permanent roles, these worries are being felt across the entire leadership team – from the CFO and Head of Legal to the COO and Head of HR/People Ops,” says Boundless co-founder and CEO Dee Coakley. “Employment laws, tax codes, and statutory benefits all differ from country to country. Cultural norms around working also vary significantly. Overlooking or misunderstanding these norms only makes it more challenging to recruit and retain talent.”

To solve this problem, Boundless serves as the legal employer of staff using the best-practice Employer of Record model. Leveraging a combination of technology and local market and operational knowledge, Boundless keeps tabs on compliance with local laws and tax regulations. Going the extra mile, the startup also works with customers to build out benefits and insurance packages that go beyond the local minimum with the ultimate goal of positioning the company as an employer of choice.

Boundless was founded in 2019 by Dee Coakley, Eamon Leonard, and Emily Castles, has 19 staff members working in eight countries and operates in 16 countries across four continents, a number it plans to raise to 35 by the end of this year.

The €2.5 million funding round was co-led by Ada Ventures and FYRFLY, and the startup has raised €3.6 million to date.