Mayank Kumar’s BorderPlus Bags $7 Mn To Boost Offerings For Blue-Collar Workforce

upGrad cofounder Mayank Kumar’s talent mobility startup BorderPlus has secured its maiden funding of $7 Mn (INR 61.5 Cr), just over a month after its launch.

The round was led by Owl Ventures, along with participation from CaratLane founder Mithun Sacheti, OYO founder Ritesh Agarwal, Currae Healthcare director Apoorva Patni and Flipkart founder Binny Bansal.

The company plans to use the fresh capital to boost its platform capabilities, strengthen partnerships and also expand its footprint inorganically.

Founded in October last year by Kumar, along with OYO’s former president of European operations Ayush Mathur, BorderPlus is a global talent mobility platform that helps skilled blue-collar professionals to build international careers. The startup has currently initiated in the streams of healthcare professionals and nurses.

The startup’s offering includes finishing school training, language learning, visa processing, employment opportunities, cultural integration, local qualification recognition, financing, and talent leasing.

“The demand for Indian talent and aspirations have never been stronger, and sectors internationally see India as a prime talent spot. This is the right springboard for us to build on our momentum by enabling the large youth population of India to look at securing successful career opportunities globally,” Kumar said.

To note, Kumar stepped down from his role at upGrad in October last year, to set up a new venture. Reports then revealed that cofounder and chairman Ronnie Screwvala will be taking an active role in running upGrad, following the exit of Kumar.

As per Inc42’s report, of the multiple leadership exits seen in 2024, Adda247’s Chandan Singh, DealShare’s Sourjyendu Medda, and upGrad’s Kumar were of the few who were in plans of start new ventures, a few have taken a break to prioritise work-life balance while others were seen wading into new territories.