SINGAPORE-BASED TreeDots, an online marketplace that lets users purchase surplus produce at lower prices, has laid off some of its employees, two sources with knowledge of the matter told Tech in Asia. The job cuts were announced to staff during a town hall meeting on Mar 1. The East Ventures-backed company operates in Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia, but it has employees across the world. While both sources said around 20 people were retrenched, TreeDots co-founder Tyler Jong said only 13 out of over 200 employees were dismissed. The move affected the tech and research and development (R&D) departments, he added.

Out of the 13 employees, 10 were from TreeDots’ Indonesia team. The other three were from teams in Singapore, Myanmar, and India. Speaking with Tech in Asia, Jong clarified that the cuts came as the company is transitioning its tech team from a group structure to one that is more country-based. “The reason why we have people laid off in the Indonesia level or other countries is actually the same. Tech is working at a group level at this stage. Moving forward, we change our approach,” he says. TreeDots’ next phase entails experimenting with different things in various markets. He added that this team structure may change in the future and that the company may rehire for specific parts of the business. Founded in 2017 by Jong, Nicholas Lim, and Jiacai Lau, TreeDots also provides logistics services, helping companies transport fruit and vegetables, meat, and other food products. Its most recent fundraise was in 2011, securing US$11 million in a series A round co-led by Amasia and East Ventures. In 2022, TreeDots shut down its B2C group-buying service, citing challenges in synergies with its B2B business. But by March 2022, the company said it had saved more than 2,500 tonnes of food waste. That year, Singapore generated around 813,000 tonnes of such waste. TreeDots wants to save up to 2 million tonnes of food waste by 2025. TECH IN ASIA