‘2 minutes, on Google Meet call’: US startup lays off 100% staff

Frontdesk , a startup that managed more than 1000 furnished apartments across the United States, laid off 100% of its staff earlier this week, with co founder and CEO Jesse DePinto communicating the decision to employees over a Google Meet call that lasted all of two minutes. Representational Image TechCrunch, which broke the story , said that the company had a workforce of 200 people, and that the layoffs were announced on Tuesday.

Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here A now former employee who attended the virtual meeting told the website that DePinto informed the staff that the layoffs were due to FrontDesk's failure to raise more capital. Besides the full time people, the job cuts include both part time workers and contractors, the CEO was quoted as saying.

DePinto also said during the call that the company would now go for a state receivership, an alternative to bankruptcy, the publication reported citing sources. Additionally, as per the report, when one calls on a contact number given on the firm's website, a recording says: "Currently, Frontdesk is unavailable.

If you have a reservation, please seek alternative accommodations and expect to be contacted within the next two weeks.' The job cuts, meanwhile, come just seven months following the Milwaukee, Wisconsin based startup's acquisition of Zencity, a Chicago based smaller rival firm. Frontdesk, founded in 2017, had raised about $26 million from investors such as JetBlue Ventures, Veritas Investments and Sand Hill Angels.

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