FirstWork

What do they actually do

FirstWork builds an automation suite of “AI agents” that removes manual steps from onboarding and ongoing compliance for frontline and seasonal workforces. Live agents include: a Document Agent that collects and validates IDs, permits, and forms; a Browser Agent that performs tasks inside third‑party portals and records an audit trail; a Recollection Agent that chases missing or rejected documents; a Compliance Agent that tracks expirations and gaps; and a workflow/automation builder to orchestrate these steps (Document Agent, Browser Agent, Recollection Agent, Compliance Agent, Products). They also expose these capabilities via an API and let teams generate automations from plain‑language descriptions (API docs).

They sell to HR and operations teams with high‑volume, high‑turnover staffing needs in logistics, warehousing, delivery, hospitality, and BPOs (YC company page). FirstWork is a YC Summer 2024 company, founded in 2024 with a small team listed on YC, and has announced a $5M seed round to expand the product (YC, seed announcement, press coverage).

Who are their target customer(s)

• HR/Operations manager at a large logistics or warehousing employer: They process big hiring batches and manually check IDs, permits, and vendor portals, which slows onboarding and introduces errors; document and browser automation target those steps (YC, Document Agent, Browser Agent).
• Field/fleet operations lead at a delivery or ride‑hail company: Drivers need valid licenses, background checks, and portal-based verifications; expired or missing credentials cause service gaps and regulatory risk. Continuous credential tracking and portal automation address this (YC, Compliance Agent).
• Staffing manager for hospitality or seasonal event work: Sharp hiring spikes and frequent re‑onboarding leave limited bandwidth to chase paperwork, leading to empty roles and missed shifts; automated recollection and plain‑language workflow builders speed repeatable flows (YC, Recollection Agent).
• BPO or contact‑center workforce planner: High turnover plus client SLAs require fast verification; manual follow‑ups create seat downtime and missed start dates. Automation and API‑driven workflows reduce chasing and audit overhead (YC, API docs).
• Compliance or risk manager at regulated employers (e.g., trucking, skilled trades): They must track expirations across jurisdictions and prove compliance in audits; spreadsheets and manual reminders are error‑prone. Continuous monitoring and audit trails target these risks (Compliance Agent, Browser Agent).

How would they acquire their first 10, 50, and 100 customers

• First 10: Run paid pilots with logistics/warehousing accounts via YC/founder intros, automating one high‑pain flow (ID/license checks + portal verifications) for 6–8 weeks using Document, Browser, and Recollection Agents; convert by proving audit trails and time/cost savings (Document Agent, Browser Agent, YC).
• First 50: Productize the pilot into a repeatable playbook and run verticalized outbound into logistics, delivery fleets, and staffing; use templated workflow “recipes,” demo webinars, and a low‑risk pricing trial, with self‑serve API onboarding to shorten cycles (API docs, Recollection Agent, Compliance).
• First 100: Expand integrations with common ATS/background‑check vendors and initial payroll/HR partners; launch a partner/reseller program with staffing firms and HR tech vendors; invest seed capital in sales ops and customer success to codify templates and turn pilots into reference accounts (seed announcement, Products).

What is the rough total addressable market

Top-down context:

Near‑term TAM for FirstWork’s core (document/ID checks, screening automation, recollection, continuous credential tracking) lands around $15–18B by combining identity verification (~$11–12B) and employment/background screening (~$4–5B) (Grand View Research, TBRC). If they expand into HCM/payroll/workforce management, the opportunity grows into the $40B+ range, acknowledging overlap (Forrester, Precedence Research).

Bottom-up calculation:

As a conservative lens, if you target a slice of the global frontline workforce—say ~100M workers within high‑turnover employers—and assume $1–$2 per worker per month for onboarding/compliance automation, that implies roughly $1.2–$2.4B annual spend. This represents a practical near‑term capture within the larger $15–18B core market and scales with adoption (press reference to frontline worker scale).

Assumptions:

• Only a subset of the global frontline workforce is directly addressable near‑term; adoption concentrates in larger or higher‑compliance employers.
• Pricing modeled as low, usage‑based per‑worker fees; actual pricing may vary by vertical and integration depth.
• Top‑down figures include overlapping categories; bottom‑up is an adoption slice, not an additive TAM.

Who are some of their notable competitors

• Checkr: Background check platform widely used for gig and hourly hiring; overlaps with the screening and license verification stages that FirstWork automates around.
• Sterling: Global employment screening provider offering background checks and identity services; a core incumbent in verification/compliance workflows.
• Onfido: Identity verification vendor for document capture and biometric checks; relevant to FirstWork’s document/ID validation surface.
• Fountain: High‑volume hiring and onboarding software for hourly/frontline roles; overlaps on workflow orchestration for candidate intake.
• Rippling: HRIS/payroll platform; if FirstWork expands into broader HR/payroll for frontline teams, they’ll compete/overlap with suites like Rippling.