Marketing startup Emotive, based in Sawtelle, Los Angeles, laid off 30 employees this week, representing 18% of its roughly 167-person workforce. The cuts, announced on July 7, 2022, are part of a strategic shift toward profitability amid a broader economic downturn and declining valuations in the software-as-a-service sector. CEO Brian Zatulove emphasized the move aims to secure the company's financial runway, though he noted it wasn't directly tied to e-commerce trends, as consumer spending remains stable. Emotive, which provides an AI-enhanced text message marketing platform for e-commerce, joins other local SMS marketing firms like Voyage in reducing staff recently.
