Optimizely, a San Francisco-based startup specializing in A/B testing and digital experimentation software, laid off approximately 60 employees, representing 15% of its workforce, in July 2020. The company cited the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic as the primary reason for this difficult decision, aiming to position the business for continued success. Founded in 2009 and backed by investors like Benchmark, Index Ventures, and Goldman Sachs, Optimizely had raised $200 million in venture capital and served major clients such as Visa and IBM. Despite the broader trend of enterprise SaaS companies benefiting from the shift to remote work, Optimizely implemented these cuts, providing affected staff with severance, six months of COBRA coverage, and their laptops.
