Multiverse

London-based edtech startup Multiverse laid off 55 employees in the fiscal year ending March 2025, representing a slight reduction in its overall headcount. The company, which provides upskilling and apprenticeship programs, reported widening pre-tax losses of £63.3 million despite a significant revenue increase to nearly £80 million. Management cited a strategic shift towards higher productivity and rewarding remaining staff more, alongside a pivot from school-leaver apprenticeships to corporate upskilling, as reasons for the job cuts. This follows earlier layoffs and a retreat from the U.S. market, as the company focuses on improving its financial metrics and path to profitability.

In late November 2023, the UK-based edtech unicorn Multiverse announced layoffs affecting up to 44 employees in the United States, representing nearly a third of its 100-person US workforce. The company, which provides apprenticeship and upskilling programs globally, cited missed revenue targets and a strategy that hadn't evolved quickly enough in the US market as the primary reasons. This reduction follows a broader trend of gradual team reductions over the past year as the company shifts focus toward corporate upskilling. Despite these cuts, Multiverse retains a global team of approximately 850 employees. The layoffs come amid significant financial challenges, with the company reporting losses of £41 million for the fiscal year ending March 2023.

Multiverse, the UK-based edtech unicorn founded by Euan Blair, has laid off around 40 employees over the past year, significantly impacting its 'early talent' team focused on placing school leavers into apprenticeships. This restructuring, part of a shift toward upskilling existing corporate employees, came after the company missed revenue targets in early 2023 and moved to cut costs amid an economic downturn. The layoffs, which have drawn criticism over a perceived "cut-throat" culture, reflect broader challenges as the once high-flying startup, valued at £1.36 billion in 2022, pivots from growth to profitability in the competitive education technology sector.