Sad news comes via Gizmodo regarding the inspirational and innovative team at Sphero, who have been forced to lay off 45 staff members worldwide after lackluster sales over the Christmas period.
When the original BB-8 toy hit the market, it seemed like a match made in tech heaven. In fact, the use of Sphero’s remote-controlled robotics to bring Poe Dameron’s lovable astromech droid to life was so good, it had many wondering if Sphero’s tech was the inspiration behind the droid all along. Then, The Force Awakens came out, and propelled along by massive box office numbers, Sphero’s BB-8 toy became one of the biggest hits of 2015.
Fast forward a couple years, and it seems the 2017 holiday season has not been as kind. According to TechCrunch, after lackluster Q4 sales, Sphero was recently forced to lay off 45 staff members across the globe. But maybe more importantly, in addition to the layoffs, Sphero has announced a change in focus as the company looks to get away from toys and concentrate more on its growing educational business.
