Ex-Snap employees raise $1 million for new venture; Activision downsizes support staff; OpenTempo links with TigerConnect
Activision Lays Off 8 Percent of Staff
Roughly 775 people – or nearly 8 percent of Santa Monica-based Activision Blizzard Inc.’s 9,600 employees – will be laid off. The game publisher said the decision was aimed at moving priority to high-performing initiatives and cutting ones that don’t meet executive expectations. The cuts will come from support staff, according to Chief Executive Bobby Kotick, who told Variety that Activision will now prioritize development in e-sports, advertising and live services.
Former Snap Employees Launch Crypto Development Platform
Three former employees of Santa Monica-based Snap Inc. have launched their own SaMo venture, flush with $1 million in seed capital from Upfront Ventures and Manta Ray Ventures. Called Forge Platform, the company will develop and distribute tool kits for companies utilizing blockchain and the Ethereum cryptocurrency. TechCrunch reports the company’s software development kit will launch “in a few months,” and that the firm is seeking staff to help run operations.
TigerConnect and OpenTempo Partner
The Business Journal reports TigerConnect, a healthcare communications software developer operating in Santa Monica, announced Feb. 13 it will partner with OpenTempo Inc., developers of a medical staff scheduling software. The partnership will combine OpenTempo’s scheduling apparatus and TigerConnect’s communication platform. Both parties declined to share financial details of the arrangement.
