Layoffs in France

French food delivery startup Epicery is shutting down entirely on December 31, 2024, resulting in the layoff of its entire workforce. The company, which specialized in premium grocery delivery, faced insurmountable economic challenges, including high inflation that curbed customer spending and intense post-pandemic competition. Despite a surge during COVID-19 lockdowns and a majority investment from Geopost/DPDgroup in 2021, Epicery reported significant losses, with a negative EBITDA of -€4.69 million on €2.57 million in sales in 2023. Its parent company cited a tough market, the return to in-person shopping, and poor profitability prospects as reasons for the closure, marking the end of its nine-year operation in the competitive food delivery industry.

Jellysmack laid off 22 employees on 2024-10-21.

Spendesk laid off 151 employees on 2024-09-18.

French social media app BeReal, recently acquired by gaming company Voodoo in a €500 million deal, is conducting significant layoffs just weeks after the acquisition. While the exact number of affected employees isn't specified, a "significant portion" of the workforce is being cut as Voodoo's leadership integrates the company and implements a new, sustainable business model. The layoffs, announced in late June 2024, follow BeReal's struggles to grow beyond its peak of around 25 million daily active users and its difficulty securing further funding. The startup, which had raised $90 million from top-tier VCs and was once valued at $600 million, faced an uncertain future before the acquisition.

Advertising technology company Criteo is laying off up to 4% of its global workforce, affecting approximately 140 employees, as part of a strategic restructuring to improve operational efficiency and invest in growth areas. The layoffs, announced in April 2024, come as the company prepares for significant industry changes, notably Google's planned deprecation of third-party cookies in its Chrome browser, which Criteo estimates could reduce its revenue by up to $40 million this year. With around 3,563 employees as of late December, the publicly traded adtech firm is pivoting from its traditional retargeting business toward commerce media and connected TV solutions to adapt to evolving privacy regulations and tracking restrictions.

Creator economy startup Jellysmack laid off 30 employees in the US and France in December 2023, marking its third round of layoffs within a year. The cuts were part of a restructuring effort to focus on areas of traction and growth, particularly its technology and AI product offerings for creators. CEO Michael Philippe cited a contraction in monetization across platforms, driven by volatility in the digital ad market and a decrease in long-form distribution, as key reasons. The company, which helps creators distribute content on platforms like Facebook and Snapchat, aims to preserve its long-term health amid these challenges.

ManoMano laid off 230 employees representing approximately 25% of its workforce on 2023-10-18.

Ledger representing approximately 12% of its workforce on 2023-10-05.

Media creator startup Jellysmack conducted layoffs in the US and France on May 25, 2023, as part of a company restructuring aimed at improving operational efficiency and adapting to macroeconomic challenges and evolving social media platforms. In the US, 13 employees were affected, while the number in France remains undetermined due to an ongoing legal process. This creator economy company, which specializes in redistributing creator content for ad revenue, had recently earmarked significant funds for investments, including in kids and family influencers. The layoffs follow previous workforce reductions in the past year, reflecting ongoing adjustments within the startup.

Vallai, a data and AI governance startup, has effectively shut down, resulting in the layoff of its entire team. The closure occurred around the time of co-founder Charlotte Ledoux's LinkedIn post in 2022, marking the end of the company's venture. As a typical early-stage startup, the scale was small, and the shutdown aligns with the high failure rate for new companies, with Ledoux noting that 90% of startups fail within their first two years. The primary reason was the company's inability to sustain itself, leading to this wind-down. The team expressed gratitude to investors like Techstars and incubators including STATION F, while Ledoux transitioned into freelance work in the data and AI governance field.

Ynsect laid off 17 employees representing approximately 25% of its workforce on 2023-04-17.

OpenClassrooms representing approximately 25% of its workforce on 2023-04-14.

Cimpress laid off 500 employees on 2023-03-23.

Slite, a company in the tech industry with a team of 40 employees, laid off 10 people this week, representing 25% of its workforce. The layoffs were a strategic decision to ensure the company's long-term stability in a challenging market. Slite is pivoting its focus toward AI-driven knowledge base solutions, including its upcoming AI assistant "Ask," and needed to streamline operations to successfully execute this new direction while maintaining a calm, focused team environment. The CEO expressed deep personal regard for the impacted employees, who worked in marketing, support, talent, product, and engineering, and actively recommended them for new opportunities.

Ankorstore, a French retail marketplace startup valued at $2 billion, is undergoing a significant reorganization that will lead to substantial job cuts. While exact numbers are not officially confirmed, sources indicate the layoffs could affect around half of the workforce, which is estimated to be about 600 employees. This follows a previous 20% staff reduction in October 2022. The company, backed by Tiger Global, Coatue, and Index Ventures, is making these cuts to reduce costs and manage burn rate amid a challenging macroeconomic environment in the tech industry. The layoffs, reported in early 2023, reflect a broader trend of downsizing among well-funded startups, including other Tiger Global portfolio companies like Stripe and Getir, as they adjust to post-pandemic market conditions.

PayFit laid off 200 employees representing approximately 20% of its workforce on 2023-03-01.

Criteo, a France-founded ad tech company with over 3,100 employees, conducted layoffs in mid-February 2023, affecting teams on both sides of the Atlantic. While exact numbers are unconfirmed, social media posts suggest the cuts could impact up to 8% of the workforce, which would amount to approximately 250 employees. The layoffs come amid a challenging economic climate and a 14% year-over-year revenue dip in Q4 2022, as the company attempts to transition from its historic ad retargeting business to reposition itself as a retail media outlet. Speculation indicates these cuts may also serve as a prelude to a potential sale, with companies like Shopify and The Trade Desk rumored as interested buyers.

Jellysmack laid off 208 employees on 2023-02-15.

In December 2022, French refurbished electronics marketplace Back Market, the country's most valuable startup, laid off 13% of its workforce, affecting 93 employees—67 in France and 26 internationally. This reduction, part of a broader wave of tech layoffs across Europe, was driven by the need to cut costs and preserve cash amid a challenging economic downturn. The company, which had achieved a $5.7 billion valuation earlier in 2022, scaled back across all teams as investors urged portfolio companies to adopt more cautious financial strategies.

Media creator economy startup Jellysmack laid off 8% of its workforce on Thursday, June 9, 2022, as part of a broader restructuring. The cuts, which affected several departments, reduced the team size to just over 1,000 employees. The company cited anticipated short-term declines in ad spending due to macroeconomic volatility as the primary reason, aligning with wider tech sector concerns. As part of the restructuring, Jellysmack plans to cease commercial operations in Italy, Germany, and the Netherlands, and curb marketing investments to focus on sustainable growth areas for its creator partners. The well-funded startup, backed by investors like SoftBank, operates in the creator economy industry, specializing in redistributing creator content for ad revenue.

French unicorn Meero, a platform connecting professional photographers with businesses often called the "Uber of photography," has quietly conducted a massive layoff, cutting nearly 50% of its workforce over two years. The company, which had around 700 employees pre-pandemic, now employs between 400 and 450 people, indicating around 350 jobs were eliminated. This downsizing, attributed to the financial impact of COVID-19, marks a significant retreat from its earlier aggressive growth targets. Founded in 2016 and backed by major investors after a historic $230 million funding round in 2019, Meero operates in the tech/platform industry, serving clients like Booking.com and Deliveroo. The layoffs, confirmed through CEO statements in mid-2022, reflect the challenges even well-funded startups face in sustaining rapid expansion.

Sigfox laid off 64 employees on 2022-04-25.

Paris-based ride-hailing company Kapten, owned by Free Now Group, has laid off at least 68 employees, primarily from its Engineering and Product teams, as part of a broader restructuring. The layoffs, which occurred around May, stem from the company's decision to halt additional investments in its Paris Tech hub. While initial estimates suggested between 130 to 180 employees could be affected, the confirmed number so far is 68. The process unfolded over several months due to local labor law regulations, reflecting challenges in the competitive ride-hailing industry.