In a move that is likely to send shockwaves through the global tech industry, Italy-based app company Bending Spoons has announced plans to lay off a staggering 75% of the staff at file transfer service WeTransfer. The company, which acquired WeTransfer in July for an undisclosed amount, confirmed the plans to TechCrunch, citing the need for a more focused and streamlined organization.
The layoffs, which will affect over 350 employees, are said to be part of Bending Spoons’ standard operating procedure for companies it acquires. The company, which also owns Evernote and Meetup, has a history of cutting staff at its acquired businesses to achieve operational efficiency and profitability.
According to CEO Luca Ferrari, the decision to lay off such a significant number of employees was made after conducting a thorough study of WeTransfer’s organization and determining what is needed to achieve the company’s long-term vision. Ferrari emphasized that the goal is to create a smaller, more focused team that will be better equipped to serve WeTransfer’s needs in the long run.
However, the exact plans for WeTransfer’s product roadmap remain unclear. The company has recently rolled out a new feature allowing users to extend the expiry date of a link on the app, but there has been no official word on future developments.
This latest move by Bending Spoons is not without precedent. The company has a history of shedding staff at its acquired businesses in order to streamline operations. In February 2023, it let go of 129 employees from Evernote’s staff, and in December of the same year, it terminated the entire workforce of Filmic, a popular photo and video editing app.
The layoffs at WeTransfer are expected to have a significant impact on the company’s operations, given the number of employees affected. It remains to be seen how the move will affect the company’s overall performance and future prospects.
For those interested in discussing the layoffs at WeTransfer, TechCrunch reporter Ivan Mehta can be reached at im@ivanmehta.com or on Signal at ivan.42.
