Cloud communication provider Bird has made the decision to lay off 120 employees, accounting for approximately one-third of its entire workforce. Based in Amsterdam and previously known as MessageBird, the company is undergoing a restructuring to strengthen its global operations in light of the ongoing advancements in AI, as reported exclusively by TechCrunch. Bird has confirmed this development, reaching out to the affected staff on Friday.
This strategic shift follows a year after Bird laid off 90 employees as part of its rebranding efforts. At that time, the company also lowered its pricing to compete with major players like Twilio, Klaviyo, and Attentive. Bird provides a comprehensive CRM (customer relationship management) platform that facilitates marketing, sales, and payment communications via email, SMS, and WhatsApp.
Bird’s founder and CEO, Robert Vis, confirmed the number of employees affected, noting that the majority of the positions were in Europe.
“Although Bird originated in Amsterdam and has strong roots in Europe, our client base has expanded significantly in the Americas and Asia. This restructuring will bring our teams closer to our customers, allowing us to enhance our services in their specific time zones and cultural settings,” Vis stated in a message to TechCrunch.
Bird counts prominent companies like Meta, PayPal, Square, and Uber among its primary clients. The platform provides a cohesive solution for businesses to engage with customers across various channels, including email, SMS, voice, and WhatsApp.
Vis emphasized that the layoffs were “not a cost-cutting measure,” highlighting that the company’s “financial standing remains robust.” Instead, the shift toward AI has led to the reduction of certain roles, with similar layoffs occurring in companies like Sprinklr, Workday, and Okta.
“These changes will help us revert to the agile and focused model that propelled our initial success — starting with SMS and evolving into one of the global leaders in business communication solutions,” Vis added.
The CEO specified that the employees affected will receive “comprehensive transition support,” though he did not provide detailed information regarding severance packages.
In 2021, Bird raised $800 million in a Series C extension from investors such as Tiger Global, Eurazeo, and Owl Rock, following a $240 million round that set the company’s valuation at $3 billion. Additionally, Bird acquired the email marketing platform SparkPost in 2021 for $600 million.
Compiled by Techarena.au.
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