"One component of this is that Tendril is re-doubling its focus on our software platform and taking advantage of 3rd party hardware where it exists -- this has allowed us to reduce the hardware team a little," wrote CEO Adrian Tuck in an email. "We're in this for the long-term and I have learned (this is my 4th startup) that means taking hard decisions early to make sure we are around and flourishing when the market takes off."
Despite the layoffs, Tendril is still recruiting user interface specialists.
Until now, Tendril has been growing quite rapidly. In November, Tuck told us that the Boulder, Colo.-based company -- which makes Zigbee-based hardware and software for curbing energy consumption -- had signed deals with 29 utilities to test and/or deploy its technology. At the end of July, it had 20 deals. Thus, it's seen nearly a 50 percent increase in deals in about four months.
"We are getting a new utility sign up every 10 days or so at this point," he said back then.
It was also hiring at a rapid clip.
In the layoff count, this is one of the first we've seen in a smart grid company. So far, most of the layoffs have occurred in solar or wind. Suntech Power Holdings, which laid off 800 employees, and Optisolar, which laid off around 300 employees (about half of its staff), have had the biggest layoffs. Most of the others have occurred at comparatively small startups.
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