Layoff Events

Spin, the e-scooter-sharing startup owned by Ford, is laying off a quarter of its workforce as part of a major restructuring to pursue profitability. The company is exiting nearly all open permit markets globally, where multiple operators compete without fleet caps, citing an unsustainable "race to the bottom" on pricing and an inability to maintain service quality. This shift will involve winding down operations in several U.S. markets and entirely in Germany, Portugal, and Spain by around February 22nd. Moving forward, Spin will concentrate on limited vendor markets in the U.S., Canada, and the UK, where cities select partners through procurement processes—a model that reportedly doubles its revenue. The layoffs, while unspecified in exact numbers, reflect the company's strategic pivot away from highly competitive open markets.

Delivery Hero, a major player in the food delivery and quick-commerce industry, laid off 300 employees in Germany following the sudden shutdown of its Foodpanda brand's operations in the country on December 27, 2021. This reduction impacted approximately 30% of Foodpanda's local workforce, which totaled around 1,000 people, including riders and pickers. The layoffs primarily affected corporate staff in areas like sales, HR, and marketing, rather than delivery couriers, who may transition to roles with partners like Gorillas, in which Delivery Hero holds an investment. The decision, described as abrupt and surprising by employees and observers alike, was part of a strategic exit from the German market, with the company offering severance packages and assistance in finding new positions within its network.

iFit on 2021-12-08.

BitTitan, a Bellevue-based cloud and data services startup, is laying off 70 employees in January following its recent acquisition by Texas software company Idera. These cuts represent about 27% of its workforce, which stood at 257 employees at the time of the acquisition. The layoffs, disclosed through a state regulatory notice, are part of the post-acquisition restructuring. Founded in 2007, BitTitan operates in the competitive cloud services industry and had raised significant funding prior to the takeover by Idera, a larger software firm backed by private equity.

Zillow laid off 2,000 employees representing approximately 25% of its workforce on 2021-11-02.

Ozy Media representing approximately 100% of its workforce on 2021-10-01.

Zymergen laid off 120 employees on 2021-09-23.

In 2021, Imperfect Foods, a grocery-delivery e-commerce company that had expanded rapidly during the pandemic, underwent significant restructuring, including multiple rounds of layoffs affecting employees across nearly all ranks. The layoffs occurred in waves throughout the year, driven by a slowdown in sales as consumer demand waned post-pandemic, with many customers returning to in-store shopping. The company also saw a major leadership shakeup, with half of its C-suite departing, including CEO Philip Behn, who was pushed out in June. These changes were attributed to overestimated revenue projections following the pandemic boom and a challenging adjustment to shifting market conditions.

Genius on 2021-09-15.

In September 2021, mattress startup Casper conducted a round of layoffs impacting dozens of employees, including three C-level executives: the Chief Marketing Officer, Chief Technology Officer, and Chief Operating Officer. The cuts largely affected retail and operations teams, signaling a broader restructuring effort aimed at reducing operating costs and focusing on North American operations to achieve profitability. This followed a previous workforce reduction of 21% over a year earlier when Casper shut down its European operations. The layoffs were communicated to employees on September 14, 2021, with those affected offered severance packages.

Treehouse laid off 41 employees representing approximately 90% of its workforce on 2021-09-14.

Cybersecurity firm Tanium, valued at $9 billion, laid off between 15 and 20 employees last week, primarily from its marketing department. This represents roughly 10% of its 200-person marketing unit and a small fraction of its total workforce of about 2,000. The cuts, which included nearly all senior product marketers and some partner sales staff, follow the recent resignation of Chief Marketing Officer Chris Pick—the fourth CMO to leave the company since 2016. This move is part of broader organizational shifts, including the earlier disbanding of its customer success team, as the company undergoes a readiness assessment under a new CFO in preparation for a potential IPO.

In August 2021, Flockjay, a Y Combinator-backed startup in the edtech and bootcamp industry, laid off at least half of its workforce, impacting 30 to 45 employees out of an estimated total of 60 to 90 full-time staff. The layoffs affected all nontechnical teams, including admissions, business operations, partnerships, recruiting, and marketing. This drastic reduction came as the company pivoted from its core 10-week sales training bootcamp model to focus on developing a B2B SaaS platform aimed at sales operations and efficiency. The shift was driven by a strategic move to pursue more predictable revenue streams and scalable support for alumni and sales organizations, leading to the difficult decision to run its bootcamp classes in a limited capacity while building the new platform.

Bytedance laid off 1,800 employees on 2021-08-05.

Bengaluru-based startup Pagarbook, a Sequoia Capital-backed company providing payroll and workforce management software for SMEs, laid off approximately 80 employees in late June due to a cash crunch and product failures. The layoffs, conducted via video call, affected designers, content writers, and on-ground staff across various locations. Despite raising $15 million in a Series A round and enlisting celebrity endorsements, the company faced challenges with a new product that had significant glitches and insufficient market traction. This move contrasts with the broader trend of hiring sprees and record funding in India's startup ecosystem this year.

Katerra, a SoftBank-backed construction startup once valued at $4 billion, is shutting down and laying off thousands of employees. The company, which had around 2,434 employees according to its LinkedIn page, struggled with project delays, cost overruns, and financial difficulties exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic and rising labor costs. Despite previous layoffs and a $200 million bailout from SoftBank last year, Katerra failed to stabilize, leading to its closure in June 2021. The company, which aimed to revolutionize the global construction industry, also faced an SEC investigation into its accounting practices before its collapse.

In May 2021, German-British fintech SumUp laid off a three-digit number of employees as part of a restructuring effort, despite having recently secured a €750 million credit line from investors like Goldman Sachs. The company, which provides card terminals to small businesses and employed around 2,600 people across 15 locations, cited the need to build a resilient company during challenging times, particularly as the COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted its merchant clients. This move came as a surprise following earlier expansion announcements and ongoing hiring, with about 90 positions still advertised at the time. The layoffs, confirmed by co-founder Marc-Alexander Christ, affected staff in various global offices and were aligned with strategic goals to streamline operations while continuing product and market expansion.

Digital comics startup Madefire is shutting down in April 2021 after entering an assignment for the benefit of creditors, a state-level insolvency proceeding. The company, which launched in 2012 and raised funding, had developed "Motion Books" for platforms like iPad, enlisting notable artists. As a result, all publishing and sales have ceased, affecting partner apps like Archie Comics, and users are urged to download purchased content. The closure marks the end of its effort to reinvent comics for digital formats amid industry shifts.

Lambda School laid off 65 employees on 2021-04-29.

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New Relic, a publicly traded cloud monitoring software company, announced plans in April 2021 to lay off approximately 160 employees, representing 7% of its workforce. This restructuring was driven by a strategic shift to a new consumption-based pricing model, moving away from traditional subscriptions. The company stated this model aims to lower customer costs and encourage broader product adoption, leading to a more efficient go-to-market operation that requires less investment. As a result of the layoffs, New Relic expected to incur charges between $13 million and $16 million, with plans to reallocate some spending toward increased research and development to support its new business focus.

Medium, the online publishing platform, announced a strategic shift in its editorial approach on March 23, 2021, which included offering a voluntary buyout to its editorial staff. While the exact number of employees who accepted the buyout was not publicly disclosed, the company's editorial team had grown to approximately 80 people by the end of 2019. This restructuring reflects Medium's ongoing efforts to refine its business model and integrate professional editorial content with its open platform, moving away from replicating traditional publishing. The changes were communicated by CEO Ev Williams, citing the need to adapt their strategy after rapidly scaling their in-house publications like OneZero and Elemental. The company operates in the digital media and technology industry.

BuzzFeed laid off 47 U.S. employees at HuffPost, including eight managers, as part of a restructuring effort announced in March 2021, shortly after acquiring the news outlet from Verizon Media. The layoffs, which affected nearly 30% of the unionized editorial unit, were aimed at stemming HuffPost's $20 million losses in 2020 and fast-tracking its path to profitability. This move occurred amid a grim year for the media industry, exacerbated by the pandemic and shifts in digital advertising. Additionally, HuffPost Canada was shuttered, and top editors departed, as BuzzFeed sought to refocus HuffPost on politics, breaking news, and revenue-generating content while maintaining its digital presence.

In March 2021, data management startup Clumio conducted a round of layoffs, reportedly affecting two-thirds of its sales team, as part of a strategic shift to focus exclusively on public cloud backup. The company, operating in the competitive SaaS data protection industry, is rebalancing its business to simplify data protection in the public cloud, moving away from its previous coverage of both private and public cloud applications. CEO Poojan Kumar stated the decision was necessary to tighten areas no longer aligned with the company's strategic focus, ensuring long-term customer service in a market contested by several strong suppliers.

Chinese drone giant DJI has laid off an unspecified number of employees at its Palo Alto, California research and development office, citing evolving company needs as the reason. The layoffs, which occurred last week, affect a portion of its global workforce of over 14,000. This move is part of a broader restructuring of DJI's U.S. operations, which has also seen high-profile executive departures. The changes may stem from corporate maturation, pandemic effects, or ongoing pressure from the U.S. government, which has encouraged agencies to avoid Chinese-made technology. Despite this turbulence, DJI maintains its dominant worldwide market share in the drone industry.

Ninjacart, a Walmart-backed agritech startup, has laid off over 200 employees across key cities like Bengaluru, Chennai, Mumbai, and Hyderabad. The layoffs, which began in November 2020, affected staff across ground operations, middle, and senior management. While the company attributes the terminations to performance and integrity issues, including theft and failure to meet KPIs, former employees allege the move is part of a cost-saving drive, citing unethical HR practices such as shortened notice periods. CEO Thirukumaran Nagarajan denies cost-cutting measures, stating the actions align with contractual terms for addressing performance and integrity concerns.

Indian mobility startup Bounce has conducted its second major round of layoffs, reducing its workforce to approximately 200 employees. This follows a previous reduction of 130 employees in June 2020. The latest cuts, occurring in February 2021, affected an estimated 200-odd employees across all levels, representing a significant reduction of 40-60% from its pre-layoff headcount. The company, which operates an on-demand two-wheeler rental service, cited persistently subdued demand in the shared mobility sector due to the prolonged impact of the COVID-19 pandemic as the primary reason. Bounce stated it is refocusing its strategy to concentrate on its electric vehicle (EV) two-wheeler business and will utilize its remaining capital of around $70 million to grow this segment. Affected employees were offered three months of severance pay.

Online clothing reseller ThredUp is laying off 243 employees as it closes its distribution center in Vernon Hills, Illinois, effective March 19, 2021. The company, which operates in the e-commerce and secondhand fashion industry, is consolidating operations into more scalable and cost-efficient facilities in Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Arizona. While the exact total employee count isn't specified, the layoffs are part of a strategic shift following pandemic-related sales fluctuations and ahead of a planned initial public offering. ThredUp is offering affected workers relocation support, severance, and job placement assistance.

Indigo laid off 80 employees on 2021-02-09.

Berlin-based restaurant reservation platform Quandoo has laid off 87 employees, representing 20% of its global workforce, which previously stood at around 430 people. The job cuts, announced in early February 2021, were a direct result of the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the restaurant industry worldwide. As lockdowns and restrictions forced widespread restaurant closures, demand for Quandoo's services plummeted. The company, a startup success story acquired by Japan's Recruit Holdings, had previously implemented short-time work schemes in Germany and other countries before resorting to layoffs to ensure the company's long-term viability.

Toronto-based retail software startup Hubba is shutting down operations after over a decade, resulting in layoffs for an unconfirmed number of its approximately 45 employees. The company, which had raised over $60 million from notable investors like Goldman Sachs, communicated the wind-down decision to investors on Monday. Hubba, once considered one of Toronto's hottest startups with ambitions to reach a $1 billion valuation and an IPO, had faced significant challenges since 2018, including multiple rounds of layoffs and a strategic pivot from enterprise clients to focusing solely on independent retailers. The shutdown marks the end of a venture that aimed to connect independent brands with buyers but ultimately could not sustain its operations.

Privitar laid off 20 employees on 2021-01-27.

ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, is winding down its operations in India and laying off over 1,800 employees, which represents close to 90% of its workforce in the country. This drastic reduction, announced in late January 2021, leaves the company with fewer than 250 staff in India. The decision is a direct consequence of the Indian government's permanent ban on TikTok and 58 other China-linked apps, which left ByteDance without a clear path to reinstating its services. Following an initial ban in June 2020, the company had supported its 2,000+ employees for over half a year but ultimately had to scale back due to the regulatory uncertainty. The layoffs impact teams across TikTok, Helo, and Resso, marking a significant retreat for the Chinese tech giant from the Indian market.

In late January 2021, Shutterfly announced a significant staff reduction affecting nearly 800 employees. The layoffs primarily impacted the Lifetouch National School Studios division, with 700 positions cut in the U.S. and 30 in Canada, while the core Shutterfly business eliminated 90 roles. The company cited declining sales and the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic as key reasons, noting that the health crisis particularly affected the Lifetouch studio and school photography business. This restructuring, which also consolidated operational territories, followed Shutterfly's acquisition of Lifetouch in 2018 and its subsequent transition to private ownership under Apollo Global Management.

Postmates laid off 180 employees representing approximately 15% of its workforce on 2021-01-23.

Instacart laid off 1,877 employees on 2021-01-21.

Pocketmath, a small adtech company with around 21 employees, has ceased operations and effectively laid off its entire workforce after failing to secure a buyer. The shutdown, confirmed in early 2021, followed allegations of unpaid bills and lawsuits from partners like Smaato and Pulsepoint, which claimed hundreds of thousands in owed payments. Operating for about a decade, Pocketmath provided programmatic mobile ad technology and had raised $20 million from investors including Rakuten. The closure highlights the intense competition in the adtech industry, where smaller firms struggle against giants like Google and The Trade Desk, leading to consolidation and financial strain.

Dropbox is reducing its global workforce by approximately 11%, which translates to about 315 employees being laid off. The announcement was made by CEO Drew Houston in an employee memo on Wednesday, citing the need to create a healthy and thriving business for the future. The company aims to refocus on key priorities such as evolving its core experience, investing in new products, and driving operational excellence. This restructuring follows Dropbox's shift to a permanent remote work policy, which has reduced the need for in-office resources. Additionally, Chief Operating Officer Olivia Nottebohm will be leaving the company on February 5.

Aura Financial, a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and fintech innovator focused on serving underbanked communities, has closed its doors after eight years of operation. Founded in 2012 to provide economic justice and financial tools to minorities, Latinos, and low-income families, the company cited the broader impacts of the pandemic, recent legislation, and challenging economic conditions as contributing factors to its shutdown. While the exact number of layoffs was not specified, the closure resulted in the loss of all positions at the company. Aura had facilitated nearly $700 million in responsible loans to over 350,000 customers, helping many improve their credit scores and avoid predatory lenders. The closure marks the end of its mission to expand financial inclusivity through technology and community-focused lending.

Simple representing approximately 100% of its workforce on 2021-01-07.

WhiteHat Jr, an edtech company owned by BYJU'S, is undergoing a significant internal reshuffle affecting approximately 1,800 employees, who represent a substantial portion of its workforce. While CEO Karan Bajaj describes this as a transition to new roles aligned with the company's focus on growth verticals like math courses, employees report being offered positions at BYJU'S or severance packages, effectively feeling forced out. This restructuring, occurring in late 2020 and early 2021, aims to cut costs by reducing support for international markets such as the US, UK, and Australia-New Zealand. As a mid-sized player in the competitive edtech industry, WhiteHat Jr's move reflects broader shifts toward integrating with BYJU'S and refocusing on B2B solutions and global expansion, amidst employee concerns about job security and the nature of the transition.

Pulse Secure laid off 78 employees on 2020-12-23.

Actifio laid off 54 employees on 2020-12-16.

In December 2020, Montreal-based flexible workspace startup Breather underwent a major restructuring, laying off 90 employees, which represented 75% of its then 120-person workforce. The company reduced its staff to just 30 people. This drastic downsizing was part of a strategic pivot away from being a physical workspace operator, as the COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted its business model. Breather abandoned hundreds of leases in the U.S. and U.K., filing for insolvency processes for those subsidiaries, and planned to exit its remaining 79 Canadian leases. CEO Bryan Murphy announced the company would shift to a pure technology play, aiming to become an online marketplace for third-party flexible office space, akin to Airbnb, rather than continuing as a capital-intensive operator like WeWork.

OYO laid off 600 employees on 2020-12-08.

Toronto-based fintech startup Aya, which specializes in payments and administration for employee benefits packages, has secured $3.7 million CAD in seed funding. The round was led by MaRS Investment Accelerator Fund and Luge Capital, with participation from Anthemis Group, BDC Capital, StandUp Ventures, and angel investors. Founded in 2018, Aya operates at the intersection of fintech and healthtech, offering solutions like Health Spending Accounts (HSA) and Wellness Spending Accounts (WSA) through partnerships with brokers and insurance carriers. The new capital will fuel customer acquisition, product development, and expansion into the US market, building on earlier funding and existing partnerships with several brokerage firms.

In November 2020, short-term rental startup Domio shut down and began selling its assets after failing to secure $10 million in additional capital. The company laid off the majority of its staff earlier that month, though the exact number of employees affected was not specified. Founded in 2016, Domio operated in the competitive short-term rental industry but faced significant challenges, including scrutiny over renting apartments under pseudonyms on Airbnb, which led to the suspension of its accounts. The co-founders had resigned in late September, and the company's closure marked the end of its operations amid financial struggles in the hospitality and real estate sectors.

Tidepool, a nonprofit organization in the diabetes technology industry, has undergone a layoff affecting an unspecified number of employees. The announcement was made via a LinkedIn post, with the company expressing gratitude for the team's contributions and acknowledging the challenging circumstances. While exact figures regarding the total workforce, percentage impacted, and specific reasons are not detailed in the provided content, the supportive comments from the community highlight the value of the team's work in advancing diabetes care. The layoff appears to have occurred around late 2020 or early 2021, as comments reference hopes for better news in 2021.

In November 2020, Seattle-based data management startup Igneous laid off an unspecified number of employees, attributing the cuts to a difficult economic environment. The company, which specializes in petabyte-scale unstructured data management as a service, had an estimated workforce of 51 to 200 people at the time, with some reports suggesting around 75 employees. Founded in 2013 and having raised $66.7 million in venture funding, Igneous cited ongoing economic challenges as the reason for the staff reduction while emphasizing its continued commitment to serving customers and partners.

Scoop, a San Francisco-based startup that provides carpooling solutions for commuters, has laid off over 40 employees in a recent round of job cuts. This follows a previous layoff of 92 employees in April, when the company cited significantly reduced demand due to widespread office closures. The latest reductions come as the company continues to navigate challenges in the transportation and tech industry, adjusting its workforce amid ongoing shifts in commuting patterns.