Workers at events start-up Pollen have revealed that there is still no update from the company’s chief executive over pay or a proposed deal with a new partner.
Engineer writer Gergely Orosz has claimed multiple insights into the situation at Pollen, which has been deteriorating over the last few months.
In May, Pollen laid off over 150 employees despite announcing in April that it had raised $150m (£124m/€147m) in Series C funding.
The company, which was founded by brothers Callum and Liam Negus-Fancey in 2014, then missed its June payroll.
CEO Callum Negus-Fancey said that workers would be paid but there was a delay because of a potential major deal with a “well-known entertainment company”.
Orosz said on Twitter: “How would you feel if your salary was not paid, but the CEO said you’ll be paid once a mysterious deal closes next week? Next week, he says the deal takes longer b/c people leaked to the press about not getting paid. And this goes on for weeks? It’s happening at Pollen.”
The writer then said that some workers also missed out on pay for July.
He said: “Everyone working in tech is refusing work. This is after not being paid for July, and the deadline when founder and CEO Callum Negus-Fancey said things will be sorted passed with no pay.
“Updates from the CEO are getting shorter and without specifics.”
Orosz then shared a screenshot of an email from Callum Negus-Fancey which read: “I’m afraid I don’t have a meaningful update yet – I will update again this week. I understand the impact this is having and I’m sorry I can’t share more.”
The latest update from the CEO. I’ve had several current engineers share this.
This is the CEO who was gaslighting employees, saying the deal is not closing because they leak to the press.
You know why they leak to the press?
They want to get paid and have no other leverage. pic.twitter.com/5oR4TLoSyS
— Gergely Orosz (@GergelyOrosz) August 4, 2022
Orosz added: “Employees are very, very angry because while they are not paid, the co-founder brothers used tons of company money on lavish stuff like private jets for business travel.
“Some speculate the CEO’s 30th birthday where all company employees were invited was also paid by company money.”
It was also recently reported that Pollen had turned to Goldman Sachs and restructuring firm Kroll to aid its search for a buyer, suggesting the company was trying to salvage its future.
TheTicketingBusiness.com has contacted Pollen for comment.
Image: Vishnu R Nair on Unsplash
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