BorderPlus Marks Maiden Acquisition With German Firm

SUMMARY

Days after securing its first funding, upGrad cofounder Mayank Kumar’s talent mobility startup BorderPlus has now acquired German healthcare recruitment firm Onea Care, marking its maiden acquisition

Although Kumar did not disclose the financial terms of the deal but said that the buyout will help in expanding the startup’s operations in the country

BorderPlus said in a statement it plans to set aside $10 Mn (INR 85.5 Cr), as part of its mergers and acquisitions (M&As) strategy, to further bolster its presence in markets, including India and Germany, among others

Days after securing its first funding, upGrad cofounder Mayank Kumar’s talent mobility startup BorderPlus

has now acquired German healthcare recruitment firm Onea Care, marking its maiden acquisition.

Although Kumar did not disclose the financial terms of the deal but said that the buyout will help in expanding the startup’s operations in the country.

BorderPlus said in a statement that it plans to set aside $10 Mn (INR 85.5 Cr), as part of its mergers and acquisitions (M&As) strategy, to further bolster its presence in markets, including India and Germany, among others.

The startup also aims to power its digital first solutions to streamline its operations like hiring, language training and seamless integration of healthcare professionals.

BorderPlus, founded last year by Kumar along with OYO’s former president of European operations Ayush Mathur, is a talent mobility platform which offers international career opportunities to Indian blue-collar workers. The startup kickstarted with initially providing job opportunities to nurses in India in healthcare facilities in Germany.

In February, the startup bagged its maiden funding of $7 Mn led by Owl Ventures, along with participation from angel investors, including OYO’s founder Ritesh Agarwal and Flipkart’s founder Binny Bansal, among others. upGrad’s Kumar stepped down from his role of a managing director in October last year to launch his venture.

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

“This acquisition is a major step toward ensuring that Indian nurses and healthcare professionals have access to structured, fair, and high-quality job opportunities in Germany. We will continue to explore such opportunities across key markets to expand our presence and support Indian skilled healthcare talent to explore global career prospects,” Kumar said.

Meanwhile, Onea Care is a staffing and recruitment company which specialises in providing staffing solutions in the healthcare sector to its clients in Germany. It provides language training to overseas talent and ensures seamless integration into their jobs.

The acquisition will also enable the Mumbai-based startup access to top universities and healthcare chains in Germany.

The acquisition also comes at a time when Germany is reeling under acute shortage of healthcare professionals and nurses. To address the growing dearth of healthcare caregivers, the German Federal Employment Agency’s International Placement Services and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit have partnered to start a nurse migration programme, Triple Win, in 2013, which aimed at tapping the workforce in countries like India, Indonesia and Philippines.

Healthtech startups in India have seen a bounce back in total funding last year. According to Inc42’s annual funding report, total funding in the sector more than doubled to $716 Mn in 2024, from $233 Mn raised in 2023.