Layoff Events

In August 2022, VC-backed aperitif startup Haus announced it was shutting down and putting its assets up for sale after its Series A funding round collapsed. The company, which had raised $17 million and achieved over $10 million in revenue, faced insurmountable challenges in securing further venture capital, largely due to "vice clauses" that deter many investors from backing alcohol brands. Additional pressures from the pandemic—including supply chain disruptions and the loss of in-person social marketing—hindered growth for its direct-to-consumer, low-ABV aperitif business. With traditional VC avenues closed, Haus turned to debt financing but ultimately could not sustain operations, leading to its closure and the layoff of its entire team.

GoHealth, a Chicago-based health insurance marketplace, laid off 800 employees on August 10, 2022, representing a significant reduction in its workforce. The company, operating in the insurtech industry, cited a challenging market environment and the need to streamline operations as reasons for the cuts. This move reflects broader adjustments within the technology and insurance sectors as companies adapt to economic pressures and shifting consumer demands.

Hootsuite, the Vancouver-based social media management company, is laying off approximately 400 employees, representing 30% of its global workforce. This reduction, announced to employees on Tuesday, will leave the company with just over 1,000 staff. CEO Tom Keiser cited the need to refocus on efficiency, growth, and financial sustainability as the reason for this difficult restructuring. The move reflects broader economic pressures affecting the tech industry and follows a period of rapid hiring and expansion for Hootsuite, which had grown to over 1,400 employees earlier in the year. The company has also faced challenges, including a postponed IPO and strategic shifts under Keiser's leadership toward e-commerce and customer service software.

Israeli video cloud platform Kaltura announced on August 9, 2022, that it is laying off 10% of its workforce as part of a cost-reduction and reorganization plan. Based on its reported 758 employees at the end of 2021, this reduction impacts approximately 76 people, with 30 of those layoffs occurring in Israel. The company, which provides video management systems and went public in 2021, cited a challenging macroeconomic outlook and the need to realign operations for greater efficiency and productivity. This move comes as Kaltura faces a significant stock price decline and a hostile takeover bid from rival Panopto, aiming to return to profitable growth.

Israeli website building platform Wix is laying off 100 employees, representing about 1.7% of its global workforce of approximately 6,000. This move, reported in August 2022, is part of a broader cost-cutting initiative aimed at improving operational efficiency amid a challenging economic environment marked by high volatility and uncertainty. The company's CFO cited a difficult environment for revenue growth, prompting a focus on strict cost management. This follows a previous round of layoffs in June when the company closed its subsidiary Wix Answers. Most of the affected employees in this latest round are based outside of Israel.

Israeli fintech unicorn Melio laid off 60 employees, primarily from its U.S.-based sales and customer success teams, in August 2022. The company, which had raised $250 million at a $4 billion valuation the previous year, cited a strategic shift in product priorities as the reason for the workforce reduction. While parting with these team members, Melio emphasized its commitment to treating affected employees thoughtfully with severance and support, and stated it would continue hiring for its R&D teams to pursue new strategic opportunities.

On August 9, 2022, Brazilian furniture e-commerce unicorn MadeiraMadeira laid off at least 60 employees, representing approximately 3% of its workforce of over 2,000. The company cited a restructuring aimed at improving efficiency and reprioritizing projects as part of its growth strategy. The layoffs affected areas including product, design, IT, and development. This move occurred amid a broader downturn in the startup ecosystem, influenced by post-pandemic macroeconomic challenges and the war in Ukraine, which led to reduced investment. MadeiraMadeira, backed by SoftBank—which itself reported significant losses—joined other major Brazilian startups in implementing workforce reductions during this period of market adjustment.

Dooly, a SaaS company in the sales enablement industry, laid off 12 employees. The CEO expressed deep regret, attributing the layoffs to economic turbulence and taking personal responsibility for not shielding the team. He emphasized that the decision was not performance-related and actively sought to help the affected individuals find new roles in go-to-market teams. The layoffs occurred on the day of the post, reflecting the challenging climate for tech companies.

Linktree, an Australian social media startup, laid off approximately 50 employees, representing 17% of its reported 300-strong global workforce, in August 2022. CEO Alex Zaccaria announced the cuts, attributing them to efforts to navigate an economic downturn and emerge stronger. The layoffs are part of a broader trend of tech industry reductions, affecting a company known for its creator-focused link-in-bio platform. Zaccaria expressed regret over the decision and outlined support measures for impacted staff, including a public job referral list and company-wide mental health days.

Absci laid off 40 employees on 2022-08-09.

Berkeley Lights, a biotechnology company specializing in single-cell analysis, laid off approximately 20% of its workforce in early 2024 as part of a restructuring effort following its acquisition by Bruker. The layoffs, which affected around 80 employees, were implemented to streamline operations and integrate the company into Bruker's Cellular Analysis division. This move reflects broader consolidation trends in the life sciences tools industry, where companies are optimizing their structures post-acquisition to enhance focus and reduce redundancies. Berkeley Lights, known for its Beacon platform, continues to operate within Bruker, aiming to advance its technology for therapeutic discovery and development.

Shift Technologies, a used car e-commerce platform, announced a workforce reduction as part of its updated business plan following its merger with CarLotz. While the exact number of layoffs was not specified, the cuts are a result of operational changes aimed at achieving profitability by 2024. The company, operating in the automotive retail industry, is shifting focus to its most profitable online sales channel and optimizing its inventory, which includes reducing its physical footprint. The announcement was made in August 2022 as Shift merged with CarLotz to combine assets and strengthen its market position.

On August 9, 2022, cloud computing and hyperconverged infrastructure company Nutanix announced a workforce reduction of approximately 270 employees, representing about 4% of its total staff. This decision followed a review of its business structure and other cost-cutting measures, positioning the layoffs as part of the company's strategic efforts to streamline operations and achieve profitable growth. The majority of the reductions were expected to be completed by the end of the fiscal quarter on October 31, 2022, with the company anticipating related pre-tax charges between $20 million and $25 million for severance and termination benefits.

Quanterix laid off 130 employees representing approximately 25% of its workforce on 2022-08-09.

Sweetgreen, a fast-casual restaurant chain in the food and beverage industry, laid off 5% of its support center workforce in mid-2022 as part of cost-cutting measures. The layoffs, announced alongside a downsizing to a smaller office, were driven by weaker-than-expected sales that began around Memorial Day, attributed to summer travel, a slow return to offices, and new COVID-19 cases. The company, which had around 2,800 total employees at the time, also lowered its annual revenue forecast. These steps were taken to reduce operating expenses and move toward profitability amid a challenging post-pandemic market environment.

On August 8, 2022, Brazilian logistics startup Loggi laid off approximately 15% of its workforce, affecting about 500 employees out of a total of 3,000. The cuts were part of a cost-reduction strategy in response to shifting market conditions, as the revenue boom experienced during the pandemic began to diminish. Layoffs impacted various departments, including technology, design, and recruitment, with the tech hub in Lisbon seeing about 40% of its team (35 people) let go. The company framed the move as an operational efficiency measure to ensure business sustainability. Concurrently, Loggi announced a CEO change, with founders moving to the board. Affected employees received severance benefits, including extended health plan coverage and career transition support.

DataRobot, a Boston-based AI startup, is conducting another round of layoffs under its new interim CEO, Debanjan Saha. While the exact number of affected employees was not disclosed, this follows a previous cut in May that eliminated 7% of its then 1,000-plus workforce. The company, which once reached a $6.3 billion valuation, is scaling back after over-expanding its operations last year in anticipation of an IPO. The decision is attributed to changed market realities, a weaker economy, and missed revenue targets. This restructuring comes amid leadership changes, including the recent resignation of the former CEO.

Vroom laid off 337 employees on 2022-08-08.

On August 8, 2022, Chicago-based e-commerce company Groupon laid off over 500 employees, representing approximately 15% of its 3,416-person workforce. The cuts impacted various teams, including merchant development, sales, recruiting, engineering, product, and marketing. CEO Kedar Deshpande cited that overall business performance was below expectations, prompting decisive actions to improve the company's trajectory. As part of a restructuring, Groupon is focusing solely on mission-critical activities, reducing its North America sales teams to emphasize self-service merchant acquisition, closing its Australia Goods business, and rationalizing its real estate footprint. The company aims these measures, alongside reinvestments in marketing, to achieve positive cash flow by the end of 2022, amidst a challenging market and increased competition in the online deals space.

Warby Parker, the direct-to-consumer eyewear retailer, laid off 63 corporate employees in early August 2022, representing a small percentage of its overall workforce, as the company aimed to navigate a challenging macroeconomic environment. The job cuts, which excluded customer-facing retail and lab roles, were part of a broader effort to operate more efficiently and focus on high-impact opportunities amid slowing growth and rising costs. This move followed a disappointing first quarter with unexpected losses, reflecting wider pressures in the retail and DTC sectors, where companies like Allbirds and Shopify were also reducing headcount.

Daily Harvest, a New York City–based frozen vegan food delivery startup valued at $1.1 billion, laid off 15% of its workforce in early August 2022. The cuts, which were planned prior to a major food safety crisis, were attributed to broader inflationary pressures and a slowing economy affecting many startups. This reduction occurred as the company grappled with a severe public relations and operational challenge stemming from its recalled French Lentil + Leek Crumbles, which reportedly sickened hundreds of customers, led to hospitalizations, and triggered multiple lawsuits. The layoffs reflect both internal economic adjustments and the external fallout from the product safety issue that amplified on social media.

Snap is planning to lay off employees, but the article does not specify the number of affected employees, total employees, reason, or announcement date.

iRobot laid off 140 employees representing approximately 10% of its workforce on 2022-08-05.

Uberflip, a Toronto-based B2B content marketing platform startup, has laid off 31 employees, representing approximately 17-20% of its workforce, which was around 182 people. CEO Yoav Schwartz announced the cuts on Thursday, citing the current unsteady macroeconomic environment as the primary reason, noting it has made the short-term future less predictable. The layoffs follow significant team scaling in recent years to prepare for anticipated growth. Founded in 2012 and having raised over $50 million, Uberflip is part of a broader trend of tech companies reducing staff after rapid expansion during favorable economic conditions. The company is assisting affected employees in finding new roles.

Talkdesk, a Portuguese-founded unicorn in the cloud contact center industry, has laid off a single-digit percentage of its global workforce as part of a restructuring effort. With approximately 2,100 employees worldwide, this reduction likely affects fewer than 200 people. The company cited the need to align resources with its strategic priorities and the current economic climate, including performance-based cuts. This move follows similar adjustments by other Portuguese tech unicorns. Talkdesk maintains over 1,000 professionals in Portugal and recently secured $230 million in funding.

In response to a challenging economic climate marked by reduced consumer spending and high inflation, the direct-to-consumer fine jewelry brand Mejuri has laid off 50 employees, representing 10 percent of its workforce. The cuts, part of a broader trend affecting retail startups, were attributed to macroeconomic pressures including supply chain disruptions and shifting post-pandemic shopping habits. While the exact date of the layoffs was not specified, the announcement was made public this week, highlighting the difficulties faced by e-commerce companies as they adjust to a return to pre-Covid demand levels.

Slync.io, a Goldman Sachs-backed supply-chain technology startup, laid off an unspecified number of employees on August 5, 2022, following months of financial turmoil. The layoffs occurred across various departments, coming just hours after the company finally paid overdue wages that had been delayed for nearly three months. Concurrently, the board terminated CEO and cofounder Chris Kirchner, who had been suspended the previous week amid the company's liquidity struggles and his controversial personal activities, including attempts to buy a football club. Interim president Tim Kehoe had foreshadowed this restructuring, citing efforts to stabilize the company's finances. The layoffs, part of a broader leadership and operational shake-up, reflect the severe cash-flow challenges faced by the startup in the competitive logistics tech industry.

Montréal-based building materials delivery startup RenoRun has laid off approximately 70 employees, representing about 12% of its 600-person workforce. The company, which operates in the construction tech and logistics industry, made these cuts in response to a challenging economic environment characterized by market downturns, a difficult fundraising climate, and concerns over inflation and potential recession. CEO Eamonn O'Rourke described the situation as a "perfect storm," leading the startup to prioritize financial longevity. Consequently, RenoRun has also paused its planned expansion into new U.S. cities for the foreseeable future, focusing instead on its existing six markets.

In August 2022, Indian school edtech unicorn LEAD laid off approximately 100 employees, which represents about 5% of its then 2,000-strong workforce. The company framed this as part of its annual performance review process, resulting in a reduction of less than 100 roles. This move occurred within a broader industry trend where edtech companies, facing a post-pandemic slowdown in demand for online education, were implementing cost-cutting measures. LEAD, having recently raised $100 million and achieved a $1.1 billion valuation, emphasized it remained adequately staffed for growth, aiming to focus on innovation as schools reopened across India.

RingCentral laid off 50 employees on 2022-08-04.

Jam City laid off 200 employees representing approximately 17% of its workforce on 2022-08-04.

On Deck, a tech startup that connects founders with resources and networks, laid off 73 full-time employees in August 2022, representing about a third of its staff. This followed a previous round of layoffs just months earlier, where a quarter of employees were cut. The company, which had grown rapidly to serve over ten thousand founders and professionals, cited a need to refocus after expanding too broadly across multiple communities. As part of the restructuring, On Deck spun off its career advancement arm and sunsetted several programs, including a climate tech fellowship. Affected employees received eight weeks of severance, accelerated option vesting, and healthcare coverage.

10X Genomics laid off 100 employees representing approximately 8% of its workforce on 2022-08-04.

Cannabis-tech company Weedmaps laid off approximately 10% of its workforce in early August 2022, affecting around 60 employees out of a total of 606 full-time workers at the end of 2021. The decision, communicated by CEO Chris Beals, was driven by a significant slowdown in legal cannabis sales in key markets like Colorado and California, rising fuel costs, and broader economic concerns pointing to a potential recession. Beals acknowledged misjudging the market's recovery timeline. The layoffs aim to help the company navigate ongoing industry turbulence and achieve profitability amid a challenging period for the cannabis sector, which has seen Weedmaps' stock drop over 55% this year.

Doma laid off 250 employees representing approximately 13% of its workforce on 2022-08-04.

Vancouver-based online furniture retailer Article has laid off 216 employees, representing 17% of its workforce, marking the first such cuts in the company's 11-year history. CEO Aamir Baig took personal responsibility, explaining that the decision stemmed from a post-pandemic correction. While the company experienced a surge in e-commerce demand during COVID-19, the anticipated sustained shift to online shopping did not materialize, leading to a return to pre-pandemic trends. Baig stated the company had been "living beyond our means" and needed to resize to restore financial strength. The layoffs, announced in a statement from Baig, affect employees across North America. Departing staff, referred to internally as "Particles," will receive severance, extended benefits, and can keep their company equipment.

Indonesian edtech company Zenius conducted a significant layoff, impacting numerous employees across product management, research, growth, and design roles. The company cited the need to adapt to a challenging macroeconomic environment as the reason for the workforce reduction. While specific figures on the number laid off, total employees, or percentage were not disclosed in the post, the event was described as a "massive wave," indicating a substantial cut. The layoff occurred recently, as shared in a personal LinkedIn post, highlighting the human impact and the sudden departure of many talented colleagues. Zenius operates in the education technology industry.

StubHub, a major online ticket marketplace, laid off approximately 30 employees in early 2024 as part of a restructuring effort to streamline operations and improve efficiency. The cuts represented a small percentage of its global workforce, which numbers in the thousands. The move reflects broader adjustments within the live events and e-commerce industry as companies adapt to post-pandemic market conditions and focus on technological investments.

Medly, a pharmacy and healthcare delivery company, laid off approximately 16% of its workforce in a difficult round of cuts. The layoffs, announced by an executive in a LinkedIn post, affected employees across all departments, including product managers, designers, and software engineers. The decision was described as the hardest day of the executive's career, indicating internal restructuring or economic pressures as the likely context. The company, which operates in the competitive health-tech industry, undertook this reduction to streamline operations, though the exact total number of employees impacted was not specified in the announcement.

Brazilian fintech Nomad, which enables digital US bank accounts and investments, has laid off approximately 20% of its workforce, affecting over 50 employees. This reduction comes just three months after the company secured a $32 million funding round that valued it at over R$1 billion. The layoffs, announced by CEO Lucas Vargas in an all-hands meeting on August 3, 2022, were attributed to the global financial crisis impacting the company. Despite recent plans for expansion with a team of around 250, the cuts spanned multiple departments including operations, development, and customer experience. The fintech, launched in 2020, stated this restructuring aims to ensure long-term performance and preserve cash for future opportunities.

SoundCloud, the music streaming platform, announced layoffs impacting up to 20% of its global workforce in early August 2022, as confirmed by CEO Michael Weissman. This reduction, part of a significant company transformation, is attributed to the challenging economic climate and financial market headwinds, aiming to position the company for long-term sustainability and profitability. While the exact number of affected employees wasn't specified, the 20% cut follows a period of growth, including a profitable quarter in 2020 and an annual revenue run rate around $300 million. The company, which had previously laid off 40% of staff in 2017, is providing support to those transitioning and remains focused on its mission in the competitive music tech industry.

Talkwalker representing approximately 15% of its workforce on 2022-08-03.

Unbounce, a Vancouver-based landing page builder serving over 100,000 customers globally, has laid off 47 employees, representing 20% of its workforce of 234. The cuts, announced by CEO Felicia Bochicchio in late 2022, are part of a larger restructuring to navigate turbulent market conditions and invest with greater discipline. Affected teams include marketing, customer support, product development, and revenue operations, with the layoffs also impacting staff from recently acquired LeadsRX. The company cited the need to support its long-term purpose and strategy amid economic downturn pressures, offering severance and extended benefits to departing employees.

Beyond Meat laid off 40 employees representing approximately 4% of its workforce on 2022-08-03.

The Org, a professional community platform, laid off 13 employees from its New York-based team this week. This reduction, driven by the challenging economic climate, led the company to cut activities not directly supporting its core strategy. The layoffs affected roles across Revenue, Recruitment/Executive Search, and Editorial/Content Strategy/Journalism. While the total employee count and exact percentage were not disclosed, the company emphasized its commitment to supporting departing colleagues with severance, extended healthcare, financial planning assistance, and career networking aid.

CarDekho, a Ratan Tata-backed unicorn in the used-car marketplace industry, conducted layoffs in early August 2022 as part of a broader trend of startup job cuts amid a persistent funding crunch. While the exact number of employees affected was not officially disclosed, the layoffs targeted roles across junior and mid-senior levels, including retail associates and inspection engineers. The company framed the terminations as performance-based actions under a performance improvement plan (PIP), citing a shift in focus toward achieving profitability and creating leaner teams. This restructuring reflects the challenges faced by startups during a period of tightened investor funding.

Latch, a smart building software company, announced a workforce reduction on August 2, 2022, as part of a plan to improve operating efficiency. The layoffs affected approximately 115 employees, representing about 37% of its full-time workforce at the time. This move is aimed at refocusing the company on higher-margin activities and aligning its organizational structure with its business size. The reduction is expected to contribute to significant annualized operating savings, following similar changes announced earlier in May 2022.

Stedi, a company in the technology and API integration industry, recently conducted a layoff affecting an unspecified number of employees. The exact scale of the workforce reduction, including the total number of employees or percentage impacted, was not detailed in the available information. The layoffs appear to be part of broader operational adjustments, though the specific reasons and context remain unclear. The event occurred recently, but a precise date was not provided. Stedi operates as a smaller-scale tech firm focused on streamlining business integrations through APIs.

Edtech unicorn Vedantu laid off over 100 employees in early July 2022 as part of a business restructuring, marking its third round of layoffs this year. This follows earlier cuts of around 624 employees in May, bringing the total for 2022 to at least 724. The layoffs, affecting teams like sales and training, were driven by investor pressure to cut costs amid an economic downturn and a post-pandemic drop in user growth as schools reopened. Vedantu, which had about 5,900 employees in May, offered a two-month severance. The company, founded in 2014, had seen explosive growth during COVID but now faces a challenging market adjustment.

Outreach, a sales execution platform company in the B2B software industry, has laid off less than 5% of its workforce as part of operational adjustments to its strategic growth plan. While the exact number of affected employees is not specified, the reduction involves a small number of roles on certain teams, with the company simultaneously funding new positions elsewhere. CEO Manny Medina stated that this difficult decision, made to ensure focus on the company's mission and to weather upcoming economic challenges, will help Outreach extend its market leadership. The layoffs occurred recently, with the company emphasizing its commitment to supporting the impacted employees in their job searches.