A fitness app founded by Chris Hemsworth has laid off more than a dozen Australian staff and closed its Melbourne office in a shift to the US.
Centr has long had headquarters in Melbourne and California, but is now moving operations almost entirely to the US, with just a handful of Australian staff to continue working remotely.
A spokesperson for the company confirmed to 9news.com.au that it will no longer have a Melbourne office, and that 15 staff have been caught up in the transition.
“As Centr continues to scale globally, we’ve made the strategic decision to consolidate operations in the US to improve operational and geographic efficiency,” they said.
“This transition affects 15 roles, with a few team members continuing remotely as part of the US-based team.
“Centr remains focused on continued growth across its digital platform, performance-grade equipment, and global partnerships.”
The company’s digital general manager, Nick Robinson, said “Centr will continue to drive towards business goals by streamlining operations and seeking exceptional talent”.
Just two years ago, Centr had claimed that its Melbourne office would “continue to be the global hub for all content and customer service, and will also be home to all sales and marketing for Australia, New Zealand and Asia”.
Centr was founded by Australian actor Hemsworth in early 2019, and has gone on to amass hundreds of thousands of subscribers and expand from a fitness and wellness app to also include an exercise equipment store.
In 2022, it was valued at about $290 million when it was bought by HighPost Capital, the private equity firm co-founded by Jeff Bezos’s younger brother, Mark.
Hemsworth has continued to be the face of the business, which promotes itself as having “Chris’s vision as our foundation”.
9news.com.au has approached Hemsworth for comment.
