Berlin-based event startup Artnight laid off 26 employees last week, representing over one-third of its workforce, which now stands at 46. Founder Aimie-Sarah Carstensen cited the challenging macroeconomic environment as the reason, expressing concern that consumers might cut back on discretionary spending for leisure activities like Artnight's painting workshops. The company, founded in 2016 and known from the TV show "Die Höhle der Löwen," had already struggled during the pandemic due to its initial reliance on in-person events. Although it temporarily shifted to online formats, Artnight has since refocused entirely on its original core business of offline workshops and discontinued other event formats to streamline operations. The layoffs affected all departments, including management, and were not driven by investor pressure, according to the founder.
