Bellevue unicorn SeekOut lays off employees

Bellevue-based recruiting startup SeekOut laid off employees on Wednesday.

A SeekOut spokesperson confirmed the cuts on Monday but didn't say how many employees the company laid off or how many remain. TechCrunch first reported the news, adding that about 30% of the company was laid off.

"This reduction is a strategic measure aimed at strengthening our financial position and maintaining our competitive edge in the talent acquisition and management segments," the SeekOut spokesperson said in an emailed statement. "Departing employees are receiving extensive support, including severance packages and career counseling to help them during this transition."

The spokesperson added that SeekOut wouldn't comment further.

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SeekOut, which launched in 2017, uses artificial intelligence to help clients find talent. The company offers personalized messages, and clients can filter by requirements like medical licenses, security clearances and technical expertise, according to SeekOut's website. SeekOut also helps clients better understand their current workforce so they can identify skill gaps and plan promotions.

According to SeekOut, the company has more than 1,000 clients, including Allstate, Salesforce and Kaiser Permanente. The company raised a $115 million Series C round in 2022, pushing its valuation to more than $1.2 billion.

"We are pulling a lot of our expertise that we have on the external talent and combining it with the talent information sources that we get from inside the company to give companies a platform to amplify their people," SeekOut co-founder and CEO Anoop Gupta said at the time.

SeekOut, which also raised a $65 million Series B round in 2021, has more than 225 employees listed on LinkedIn. The company had about 120 employees as of its 2022 raise.

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