Sea Ltd. is trimming its e-commerce division’s engineering ranks in a move that tells you everything about where the Singapore-based conglomerate thinks its future lies. Shopee, the company’s flagship online marketplace, has begun cutting hundreds of developer roles globally, representing roughly 8% of its developer workforce.
The layoffs took effect the week of June 10, 2026. And the reason is one we’ve heard from just about every major tech company this year: artificial intelligence.
The AI bet behind the cuts
CEO Forrest Li has laid out an ambitious target: a $1 trillion market capitalization. That’s approximately 10 times the company’s current valuation.
Li’s thesis is straightforward. AI integration across Sea’s platforms, spanning e-commerce, gaming, and fintech, is the vehicle that gets them there. The company has been working with Google to embed AI tools into core operations like search and advertising within Shopee’s marketplace.
