LTK, a Softbank-backed startup and creative economy unicorn, laid off some of its staff on Thursday as part of a reorganization, a company spokesperson confirmed to Business Insider.
The cuts were intended to refocus LTK’s operations around the revamped brand platform and take into account structural changes in internal teams such as marketing, the company said.
The job cuts, which affected a variety of positions including software engineers and staffers who worked with makers, affected a low-single-digit percentage of LTK’s total workforce of more than 550 employees, they said.
“LTK has recently completed a targeted organizational restructuring to ensure we are aligned with the skills and priorities required for our next phase of growth,” the spokesperson said. “This was not a broad-based layoff, but a strategic realignment aimed at strengthening performance and positioning the company for long-term success.”
LTK, formerly known as RewardStyle, was founded about 15 years ago by president Amber Venz Box. The company, which says it is profitable and has doubled its EBITDA by 2025, has raised just over $300 million during its lifetime. Most of that capital came in a 2021 round from SoftBank’s Vision Fund 2, which valued the startup at $2 billion.
Over the past decade, LTK has established itself as one of the leading players in affiliate marketing, building a network of influencers who promote products on social media in exchange for commissions.
Recently, the company has taken a series of steps to branch out beyond social media affiliate marketing.
The company relaunched its influencer-driven shopping app, called LTK, in early 2025 to add more consumer-facing features in its effort to build its own brand identity with consumers.
In late 2025, the company announced it would revamp its platform for brands and offer features like creator discovery and performance tracking at no cost. LTK makes money by collecting a commission on sales. The company said more than 1,000 brands are installed on the platform.
LTK is one of many creative economy startups that have focused their business on e-commerce. Other big players in this space include affiliate platform ShopMy and live sales app Whatnot, which raised $225 million in October at a valuation of $11.5 billion.
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