Bird Rides Inc., the electric scooter operator headquartered in Santa Monica, has laid off roughly 5 percent of its 900-person staff, an estimated 40 employees, reports said.

The layoffs were part of Bird’s annual performance review process, according to TechCrunch.

Bird issued a statement in response to the reports:

“In just over a year, Bird has rapidly expanded our service from the Los Angeles area to cities across the United States and countries throughout the world. As we establish local service centers and deeper roots in cities where we provide service, we have shifting geographic workforce needs. We are expanding our employee bases in locations that match our growing operations around the world, while developing an efficient operating structure at our Santa Monica headquarters. The recent events are a reflection of shifting geographical needs and our annual talent review process.”

To date, Bird has raised nearly $720 million to date; its most recent financing round netted $450 million in June 2018.

Tech reporter Samson Amore can be reached at [email protected] or (323) 556-8335. Follow him on Twitter @samsonamore.