Tag: Consumer

Juul

Juul layoff list emerges; 1,550+ employees have been cut in the past year

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🌎 San Francisco Bay Area ∙ 👩 1,550 employees ∙ 🖥 All departments

Juul, a maker of e-cigarettes, laid off 900 employees (30%) last month in a move unrelated to the coronavirus. The company has been mired in controversy over its role in the rise of underage vaping.

Juul also laid off 650 employees last October, bringing the total number of employees cut in the past year to 1,550.

In the wake of these layoffs, two separate lists of ex-Juul employees have emerged (see links below 👇). The official Juul Labs Alumni List contains 49 ex-employees actively looking for a job, though not all are from the most recent round of layoffs. The unofficial Juul layoff spreadsheet contains 79 ex-employees, but most were from last October’s layoff and may have already found new jobs.

View official list of employees laid off ->

View unofficial list of employees laid off ->

Our live Layoffs Tracker has a real-time report of all startups that have done layoffs.

Magic Leap

Magic Leap avoids further layoffs with new $350 mm investment

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Magic Leap, an augmented reality startup that laid off 1,000 employees (50%) last month, secured $350 million in a new investment round. As a result, the company will be able to prevent additional layoffs in the near future. (See? This site doesn’t only have bad news! 😸)

In late April, Magic Leap warned employees that a further staff reduction might be necessary if it wasn’t able to raise additional funding. Now, with $350 million more in the bank from existing and new investors, the company will be able to avoid the potential cut.

See below link 👇for an opt-in list of Magic Leap employees laid off last month, including over 100 engineers.

View list of employees laid off ->

Our live Layoffs Tracker has a real-time report of all startups that have done layoffs.

Sandbox VR

Sandbox VR laid off its engineering team

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🌎 SF Bay Area ∙ 👩 Unknown # of employees ∙ 🖥 Engineering

A virtual reality startup, Sandbox VR conducted a layoff last week. Its CEO also announced that he was laying himself off.

The layoff included Sandbox VR’s entire engineering team. See link below 👇for the resumes of 5 laid-off engineers, who are spread across multiple locations.

UPDATE: Protocol reports that Sandbox VR laid off 80% of its staff, leaving a skeleton crew of 20 people.

View list of employees laid off ->

Our live Layoffs Tracker has a real-time report of all startups that have done layoffs.

Layoffs Roundup: Thurs 5/7/20

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This week saw huge layoffs from Uber, Airbnb, and Juul. These 3 layoffs rank among the top 10 biggest in tech since the coronavirus was declared a pandemic.

Below are a few of the startup layoffs from this past week. Check out our tracker for a more comprehensive list. If you’ve seen a layoff spreadsheet for any of these companies, please let us know!

🏢 Uber ∙ 🌎 SF Bay Area ∙ 👩3,700 employees (14%) ∙ 🔗Source

  • Ridesharing service Uber laid off 3,700 employees from its customer support and recruiting teams. The CEO’s letter to staff strongly hints that more cuts are coming in the next two weeks, including in engineering and product. As many as 5,400 employees are expected to ultimately be laid off.

🏢 Juul ∙ 🌎 SF Bay Area ∙ 👩900 employees (30%) ∙ 🔗Source

  • A maker of e-cigarettes, Juul has been mired in controversy over its role in the rise of underage vaping. Its layoff is unrelated to the coronavirus. Juul is also planning to move its headquarters from San Francisco to Washington D.C., partially because its products are now banned in SF.

🏢 CureFit ∙ 🌎 Bengaluru ∙ 👩 800 employees (16%) ∙ 🔗Source

  • An India-based fitness startup, CureFit also permanently closed a number of its gyms. The coronavirus lockdown has crushed fitness companies, including U.S.-based ClassPass (53% of team laid off or furloughed) and Brazil-based Gympass (467 employees laid off).

🏢 Careem ∙ 🌎 Dubai ∙ 👩 536 employees (31%) ∙ 🔗Source

  • A ridesharing service acquired by Uber last year, Careem was one of the Middle East’s biggest startups. However, its business has dropped 80% post-coronavirus. Laid-off employees will receive at least 3 months of severance, 1 month of equity vesting, and extended visa and health insurance through 2020.

🏢 Namely ∙ 🌎 New York City ∙ 👩 160 employees (40%) ∙ 🔗Source

  • A maker of HR and payroll software, Namely noted that its SMB customers have been downsizing as a result of the pandemic. This has led to lower revenue for Namely, which makes money in part via a per-employee monthly fee.

🏢 Kayak / OpenTable ∙ 🌎 Stamford ∙ 👩 160 employees (8%) ∙ 🔗Source

  • Kayak and OpenTable, both subsidiaries of Booking Holdings Inc., laid off 160 employees and furloughed another 240 employees. The company’s revenue has “dropped tremendously from the COVID-19 crisis.”

🏢 Oyo ∙ 🌎 London ∙ 👩 150 employees ∙ 🔗Source

  • The self-proclaimed “world’s fastest growing hotel chain,” India-based Oyo plans to lay off 150-200 of its 300 employees in the UK. Oyo has already let go or furloughed thousands of employees globally in recent months. Its occupancy rate and revenue have dropped by over 50-60% since earlier this year.

🏢 Andela ∙ 🌎 New York City ∙ 👩 135 employees (10%) ∙ 🔗Source

  • An Africa-focused startup that provides “engineering as a service,” Andela expects a decline in customers due to the economic downturn. The company is also shifting its strategy from acting as a talent accelerator to serving as a talent outsourcing firm. No engineers were part of the layoff.

🏢 Care.com ∙ 🌎Boston ∙ 👩 81 employees ∙ 🔗Source

  • An online marketplace of caregivers, Care.com said its layoff was not related to the coronavirus. Rather, the cuts are the result of Care.com’s acquisition by IAC in February.

🏢 Stack Overflow ∙ 🌎 New York City ∙ 👩 40 employees (15%) ∙ 🔗Source

  • A popular Q&A site for engineers, Stack Overflow has been hardest hit in its Talent business, which helps companies recruit and hire developers. Most of the affected employees were furloughed, though some were permanently laid off.

🏢 TheSkimm ∙ 🌎 New York City ∙ 👩 26 employees (20%) ∙ 🔗Source

  • A media startup targeted towards millennial women, TheSkimm is offering laid-off employees at least one month of severance and health insurance through July. Digital media companies have suffered declining revenue as brands pull back on advertising during the economic slowdown.
Eventbrite

Second list of ex-Eventbrite employees emerges

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🌎 San Francisco, Nashville ∙ 👩 500 employees (45%) ∙ 🖥 All departments

We previously mentioned that Eventbrite, the ticketing and events website, laid off 45% of its employees (500 people). We’ve now come across a second opt-in list of employees laid off. See below link 👇for the new list as well as the first one we posted previously.

View official list of employees laid off ->

View unofficial list of employees laid off ->

See our live Layoffs Tracker for a real-time report of all startups that have done layoffs.

Yelp

Another Yelp layoff list emerges with 23 laid-off engineers

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🌎 San Francisco, NYC, Chicago ∙ 👩 1,000 employees (17%) ∙ 🖥 All departments

We previously mentioned that Yelp, the local business reviews website, laid off 1,000 employees (17%) and furloughed another 1,100. We’ve now come across a second opt-in list of employees laid off, containing 23 engineers in San Francisco (and a handful of other roles). See below link 👇for the new list as well as the first one we posted previously.

View list #1 of employees laid off ->

View list #2 of employees laid off ->

See our live Layoffs Tracker for a real-time report of all startups that have done layoffs.

Magic Leap

Magic Leap laid off 1,000 employees

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🌎 Miami ∙ 👩 1,000 employees (50%) ∙ 🖥 All departments

Magic Leap, one of the most prominent augmented reality startups, laid off 1,000 employees (50%) last week. It joins Groupon, Toast, and Yelp as companies that have laid off over 1,000 people since COVID-19. If you’re recruiting, see below link 👇for an opt-in list of employees laid off. There are over 100 engineers on the list, mostly in Florida (but also a handful of other locations).

View list of employees laid off ->

See our live Layoffs Tracker for a real-time report of all startups that have done layoffs.

Layoffs Roundup: Thurs 4/23/20

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Almost 300 startups have now laid off nearly 30,000 employees since the coronavirus pandemic began.

Below are a few notable layoffs from this past week. You can check our tracker for a more comprehensive report. As always, if you’ve seen a layoff spreadsheet for any of these companies, please let us know!

🏢 Magic Leap ∙ 🌎 Miami ∙ 👩 1,000 employees (50%) ∙ 🔗Source

  • One of the most prominent augmented reality startups, Magic Leap decided to abandon its consumer business and instead focus on enterprise use cases. Despite raising over $2 billion in funding, the company has found it challenging to release a mainstream product or generate meaningful revenue.

🏢 Lending Club ∙ 🌎 SF Bay Area ∙ 👩 460 employees (30%) ∙ 🔗Source

  • An online lender, Lending Club said its layoff was the result of tightening credit markets and a drop in demand for personal loans, the company’s flagship product.

🏢 Houzz ∙ 🌎 SF Bay Area ∙ 👩 155 employees (10%) ∙ 🔗Source

  • An online platform for home remodeling, Houzz said that social distancing measures has led to lower demand for its pro subscriptions, which connect home remodeling professionals with potential customers. Houzz is providing laid-off employees with severance packages based on tenure and 3 months of benefits.

🏢 CarGurus ∙ 🌎 Boston ∙ 👩 130 employees (13%) ∙ 🔗Source

  • A marketplace for cars, CarGurus said that dealers have been forced to close due to stay-at-home orders, “effectively pausing vehicle sales.”

🏢 Greenhouse Software ∙ 🌎 New York City ∙ 👩 120 employees (28%) ∙ 🔗Source

  • A maker of applicant tracking software, Greenhouse is the latest recruiting startup to conduct a layoff. Competitor Lever laid off 86 employees (40%) a week before. Greenhouse is offering laid-off employees 8 weeks of severance and 8 months of healthcare.

🏢 ConsenSys ∙ 🌎 New York City ∙ 👩 91 employees (14%) ∙ 🔗Source

  • An incubator of Ethereum projects, ConsenSys cited the coronavirus pandemic as the cause of its layoff. However, the company did not elaborate on exactly how the pandemic has affected its business.

🏢 Casper ∙ 🌎 New York City ∙ 👩 78 employees (21%) ∙ 🔗Source

  • A direct-to-consumer mattress startup, Casper also decided to close its European operations. The company hopes the job cuts will help it achieve profitability by mid-2021. One laid-off employee said, “though I am unsure what tomorrow holds, I do know that before tomorrow must come a good night’s sleep.”

🏢 Freshbooks ∙ 🌎 Toronto ∙ 👩 38 employees (9%) ∙ 🔗Source

  • An accounting software company, Freshbooks said its small business customers have been affected by the economic fallout caused by the coronavirus. Freshbooks was planning to raise additional capital before COVID-19, suggesting that one motivation for the layoff was to extend the company’s cash runway.

🏢 Sweetgreen ∙ 🌎 Los Angeles ∙ 👩 35 employees (10%) ∙ 🔗Source

  • A fast casual salad chain, Sweetgreen’s business has plummeted because of shelter-in-place. An employee said that app order volume has fallen by 2/3. Sweetgreen raised $150 million in funding last year, becoming possibly the only salad restaurant ever to raise venture capital.

🏢 Patreon ∙ 🌎 SF Bay Area ∙ 👩 30 employees (13%) ∙ 🔗Source

  • Patreon, which enables artists and creators to accept money from their fans, said that the layoff was caused by “several other factors beyond the financial ones.” It cited a recent performance review cycle and a new company strategy, in addition to the current economic uncertainty.

🏢 People.ai ∙ 🌎 SF Bay Area ∙ 👩 30 employees (18%) ∙ 🔗Source

  • A maker of predictive sales software, People.ai denied that the coronavirus pandemic has had any negative effect on its business. It said the layoff was simply to protect against future uncertainty. As would be expected of a sales startup, People.ai also listed multiple examples of how the company is in an extremely strong position.

🏢 Lambda School ∙ 🌎 SF Bay Area ∙ 👩 19 employees ∙ 🔗Source

  • A training program for aspiring software engineers, Lambda School said the layoff was meant to reflect a shift in priority away from growth and towards student experience. The startup has recently received criticism for the quality of its program and for engaging in misleading marketing.
Groupon

Groupon laid off or furloughed 2,800 employees as local merchants close

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🌎 Chicago, Seattle, SF Bay Area ∙ 👩 2,800 employees (44%) ∙ 🖥 All departments

Groupon, a marketplace for discounts from local businesses, announced Tuesday it was cutting 44% of its team (2,800 employees). See below link 👇for a partial list of 160+ employees laid off, 1/4 of which are engineers. Groupon has seen a “material deterioration” in its business due to the closure of local businesses it works with.

View list of employees laid off ->

See our live Layoffs Tracker for a real-time report of all startups that have done layoffs.

Layoffs Roundup: Thurs 4/16/20

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Layoffs continue to ripple through the startup ecosystem. Notable events from the past 2 days include a 35% layoff from Opendoor and a 30% layoff from VSCO.

Below are a few other recent layoffs. Check our tracker for a comprehensive report. If you’ve seen a layoff spreadsheet for any of these companies, please let us know so we can help the affected people!

  • The RealReal, an online marketplace for consigned luxury goods, laid off 10% of its employees and furloughed another 15%. Retailers and e-commerce companies have been among the hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic, due to stay-at-home orders and a pullback in consumer discretionary spending.
    • 🌎 SF Bay Area ∙ 👩 235 employees (10%) ∙ 🔗Source
  • GoPro, which makes action cameras, said it will cut over 200 employees. With fewer opportunities to sell through retail stores, the company will shift its focus to selling directly online.
    • 🌎 SF Bay Area ∙ 👩 200 employees (20%) ∙ 🔗Source
  • Zume, which uses robots to make pizza while it’s being delivered, laid off 2/3 of its team. The CEO decided against using similarly-named Zoom to announce the layoff, choosing instead to send out a company-wide email.
    • 🌎 SF Bay Area ∙ 👩 200 employees (67%) ∙ 🔗Source
  • Carta, which makes software that helps companies manage the equity they’ve issued to investors and employees, laid off 161 people (16%). It believes a slower economy will lead to fewer customers than originally projected. Carta is providing affected employees 3 months of pay and healthcare insurance until the end of the year.
    • 🌎 SF Bay Area ∙ 👩 161 employees (16%) ∙ 🔗Source
  • TouchBistro, a point-of-sale system for restaurants, laid off 131 employees (23%). Most of its restaurant customers have closed due to shelter-in-place.
    • 🌎 Toronto ∙ 👩 131 employees (23%) ∙ 🔗Source
  • Neon, a Brazil-based digital bank, laid off 70 employees (10%). Other Brazilian fintech startups like C6 Bank and Creditas have also recently conducted layoffs.
    • 🌎 Sao Paulo ∙ 👩 70 employees (10%)∙ 🔗Source
  • Envoy, which makes a front desk visitor sign-in system, laid off 30% of its staff (58 employees). Its business has been affected by office closures across the country.
    • 🌎 SF Bay Area ∙ 👩 58 employees (30%) ∙ 🔗Source