Silo, a Bay Space meals provide chain startup, has hit a tough patch. TechCrunch has realized that the corporate on Tuesday laid off roughly 30% of its workers, or north of two dozen staff. Silo has confirmed the headcount reductions, clarifying the cuts have been throughout the board and never centered on particular person departments.
Silo shared the next assertion with TechCrunch concerning the layoffs:
We just lately made the troublesome resolution to cut back our headcount by virtually 30%. We’re dedicated to supporting these workforce members impacted and have offered severance packages and recruiting assist. On the identical time, Silo stays devoted to serving our prospects and the perishables business at giant, and can proceed to focus extra nimbly on constructing next-generation provide chain administration software program options.
Based in 2018, Silo’s platform helps automate the workflows of meals and agricultural companies and later expanded into different areas, like fee merchandise for accounts payable and receivable automation, stock administration, ledger accounting, financing and extra.
Main as much as the layoffs was a problem round a lending product that had damage Silo’s income. An organization supply confirmed {that a} buyer had change into delinquent on their mortgage, which precipitated Silo’s banking associate to pause the mortgage product. Silo then labored with the financial institution to resolve the issue with the client, so the ability has the power to fund once more.
Whereas Silo is now capable of lend, the dearth of fee from that buyer and total pause in lending meant a drop in income for that interval, resulting in the layoffs. For that purpose, Silo will possible watch out about ramping up the lending product because it strikes ahead.
This all happened in current weeks. Nonetheless, it’s potential that if Silo had applied stronger danger administration processes, it wouldn’t have confronted the default.
As well as, we’re listening to Silo is engaged in M&A discussions as one other potential decision to its present scenario. The corporate had beforehand engaged in discussions with potential deal companions forward of its Sequence C final yr, however the fundraise allowed Silo to pause these talks for a time. In current weeks, these M&A discussions have picked again up once more on the again of latest progress the corporate noticed final yr in addition to the potential want for an exit.
The startup raised $32 million in Sequence C funding final summer season. Traders embody Initialized, Haystack, Tribe Capital, KDT, a16z and others.
