RealSelf CEO Tom Seery. (RealSelf Photo)

RealSelf is the latest tech startup to cut staff as the COVID-19 crisis forces businesses across various industries to slash expenses in order to survive.

The company did not say how many workers were let go, but there are now 136 employees remaining. RealSelf has more than 200 employees listed on LinkedIn.

“This is one of my most painful moments in my 13 years serving as CEO and founder,” RealSelf CEO Tom Seery wrote in a blog post. “We said goodbyes to wonderful teammates across all parts of the business. We treasure and deeply respect each and every one of them.”

Laid off employees will receive a minimum of two months severance and benefits as part of an expanded exit package.

As revenue dries up due to the economic crisis, many companies are laying off staff to help curb expenses. Nearly 280 tech startups have cut 26,000-plus employees since March 11.

Founded in 2006, RealSelf operates a Yelp-like marketplace business that helps people learn more about cosmetic procedures including botox, Invisalign, breast implants, and more. The company has millions of reviews and 20,000 registered doctors on its platform.

Seery said COVID-19 has “upended the lives of our customers” since most elective medical procedures are put on hold due to stay-at-home orders and medical specialists closing their businesses.

A survey of RealSelf community members found that 67% are putting their cosmetic procedures on hold due to concerns related to finances and health, among others. Seery, a former Expedia executive, is still confident that the aesthetic market will recover “over a sustained period of time.”

“New challenges stand in the way of restarting the aesthetics industry,” Seery wrote in a LinkedIn post. “It will not be back to ‘normal’ for the foreseeable future.”

Earlier this month RealSelf launched a new virtual consultation feature; more than 1,000 doctors are using the technology. The company also partnered with Bluestone Sunshields to help raise money for personal protective equipment.

“We continue to serve a key role in educating consumers and medical practices, bringing transparency, innovations and human connections to the market at a time when they are so highly sought,” Seery wrote in the blog post today. “Never before has the work we do been more important.”

RealSelf laid off 14% of staff in January 2019. It raised $40 million as part of its first substantial round of outside capital in April 2018.

The company makes money by charging doctors for targeted exposure. It is ranked No. 24 on the GeekWire 200, our list of the top Pacific Northwest startups.

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