Micha Kaufman

THE GIG BOSS WHO TOLD HIS OWN STAFF AI IS COMING FOR THEM

Co-founder and CEO of Fiverr, the freelance marketplace. He built an AI that pays creators instead of replacing them — then laid off 30% of his own staff in the AI-first pivot.

1. 2010

   TWO ISRAELI FOUNDERS, ONE FIVE-BUCK DREAM

   Micha Kaufman and Shai Wininger launch Fiverr in Tel Aviv in 2010, an eBay-style marketplace where every gig starts at five dollars.

   SOURCES: Fast Companyreported

2. Aug 11, 2014

   $30 MILLION FUEL FOR THE GIG MACHINE

   Fiverr raises $30M from Bessemer, Accel and Qumra Capital; Kaufman calls it 'an affirmation of the brand resonance and trust we have established.'

   SOURCES: GlobeNewswirereported

3. Jun 13, 2019

   WALL STREET GOES WILD: FIVERR SOARS 90% ON DAY ONE

   Fiverr debuts on the NYSE under ticker FVRR, priced at $21; shares open at $26 and close at $39.90 — up 90% on its first trading day.

   SOURCES: SiliconANGLEreported

4. Aug 2023

   MEET NEO: FIVERR'S AI MATCHMAKER

   Fiverr launches Neo, an LLM-powered matching tool that chats with buyers to scope projects and pair them with the right freelancers.

   SOURCES: VentureBeatreported

5. Feb 18, 2025

   FIVERR GO: AI THAT PAYS CREATORS, NOT EXPLOITS THEM

   Kaufman unveils Fiverr Go, an AI platform to keep creators 'at the center of the creative economy' — plus an industry-first Freelancer Equity Program.

   SOURCES: GlobeNewswirereported

6. Apr 8, 2025

   'AI IS COMING FOR YOUR JOBS. HECK, IT'S COMING FOR MINE TOO'

   Kaufman posts his blistering internal memo to ~700 staff on X, warning every profession — programmers to lawyers — to upskill or face a career change.

   SOURCES: IT Proreported

7. Sep 15, 2025

   30% GONE: FIVERR GOES ALL-IN ON AI

   Fiverr cuts 250 employees — 30% of its staff — in a 'painful reset' to become an AI-first company, Kaufman tells staff in a company-wide letter.

   SOURCES: Reutersreported