Hopin CEO and founder Johnny Boufarhat has made new cuts at the virtual events startup after pushing for “sustainable” growth as the global economy stalls.In July 2021, the virtual events startup Hopin was considered the fastest-growing startup in the world. Now, it's laying off 29% of its staff, following a previous cut of 12% back in February. With hiring now frozen, and marketing budgets slashed, a startup that was once worth $7.
Hopin, which was founded in 2019, hosts online conferences for companies like Slack, Dell and Unilever. The new cuts add up to 380 layoffs this year, as the startup tries to focus on “sustainable growth” after the pandemic supercharged its business. The company, which is run as a remote team, has raised over $1.1 billion total in a lightning succession of rounds from top investors Andreessen Horowitz, Accel, Tiger Global and IVP. In July 2021, Hopin raised $470 million at a $7.8 billion valuation in a round led by Arena Holdings and Altimeter Capital. With the influx of cash came soaring head count: After acquiring six smaller companies in the space of just six months, Hopin had over 1,000 employees.