- The cannabis-tech startup Green Bits laid off about 40 employees on March 9.
- A company spokesperson confirmed the cuts to Business Insider.
- Green Bits is the latest in a long line of cannabis companies that have let go employees in recent months.
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A cannabis-tech startup backed by a behemoth investment firm let go about 40 employees in March, Business Insider has learned.
Green Bits, a Silicon Valley-based software platform that provides point-of-sale and retail-management services to cannabis dispensaries in California and other states where the substance is legal, cut the workers on March 9 in an effort to reduce costs.
A company spokesperson confirmed the layoffs to Business Insider.
Here's the company's full statement:
This week, we made the difficult and painful decision to part ways with some of our colleagues. This best positions Green Bits for its next stage of growth and does not reflect our gratitude for the contributions of these team members. We are proud of what our Green Bits team has accomplished. Our platform has rapidly grown to serve more than 1,100 locations across 13 states and process $3.3 billion per year in legal cannabis sales. In the last several months, we installed a new CEO, who is a veteran of Silicon Valley tech companies that help small businesses. And, earlier this month, we announced our expansion to Illinois and launched a quarterly data report on retail cannabis trends. Green Bits has never been in a stronger position, and we will continue innovating to help our customers run and grow their businesses.
Once a darling for investors looking to back cannabis tech, Green Bits landed a $17 million Series A funding round— led by Tiger Global Management, an investment firm founded by Chase Coleman — in April 2018.
In December, the company replaced its founding CEO, Ben Curren, with Barry Saik, a tech-industry veteran and HealthTap's former chief operating officer, Business Insider previously reported.
Like other cannabis and cannabis-adjacent startups, Green Bits had to lay off employees and cut costs as the industry suffered headwinds, including capital constraints, the fallout from the spate of vape-related illnesses, legalization moving slower than some investors expected, and now the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In February, the cannabis-vapes and -accessories company Greenlane Holdings laid off 31 employees and the company's chief marketing officer, Sasha Kadey, departed. Acreage Holdings eliminated 40 workers after a strategic review in February, Business Insider reported.
And the cannabis retailer MedMen cut 128 employees in February and shuttered its Arizona operations as the company's stock dropped to $0.12 per share.
Editor's note: This story initially described a Green Bits investor incorrectly. The company is backed by Tiger Global Management, founded by Chase Coleman.
Got a tip regarding Green Bits or another cannabis company? Contact this reporter via email jberke@businessinsider.com, or Twitter DM @jfberke. Encrypted messaging app Signal number available upon request.
- Read more:
- A key executive departed cannabis-vaporizer company Greenlane Holdings two days after the company laid off 31 workers
- Embattled cannabis retailer MedMen quietly terminated 128 people in February, filings reveal
- A leaked memo reveals that cannabis-vaporizer company Greenlane Holdings quietly laid off 31 employees in February
- The CEO of cannabis giant Aurora just stepped down and the company is cutting 500 jobs as turmoil hits the industry
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