Microsoft Layoffs Are Infectious (Don't Get Acquired or Become a Partner)
It's "Microsoft's Deadly Touch" or "Microsoft's Touch of Death"
"AI startup D-ID lays off a quarter of its workforce just days after Microsoft deal", says this new article, which is only 7 hours old:
To quote:
D-ID was founded in 2017 by Gil Perry, Sela Blundheim and Eliran Kota, former members of Israel’s 8200 Intelligence Unit. The company specializes in AI-based interactive avatars, focusing on corporate applications in customer experience, marketing, learning, and accessibility. To date, D-ID has raised $48 million, including a $25 million Series B round in March 2022. That round was led by investment firm Macquarie Capital, with significant investments from Pitango, AXA, OurCrowd, OIF, Maverick and Marubeni.
Remember what Microsoft did to HoloLens staff after it had bought the company: [1, 2, 3, 4]
Microsoft has yet to ship its first HoloLens holographic imaging device, but it is moving swiftly on to the next generation of development nonetheless. TechCrunch has confirmed that Microsoft has dismissed 60 people in Israel who work on the HoloLens — 30 full-time staff and 30 contractors. The plan is to wind down work on its VR headset and platform in the country and shift development to a different technology in the U.S.
It seems like companies choosing to become "buddies" with Microsoft are dooming themselves and their products. Ask i4i. █