Layoffs in Germany

Staffbase laid off 176 employees representing approximately 22% of its workforce on 2026-05-08. The company is at the Series E funding stage and operates in the Other sector.

German solar energy startup Enpal has laid off nearly 100 employees without prior warning as part of a complete restructuring of its customer service department. The layoffs, which occurred in late March 2026, were announced during a sudden town hall meeting at the company's Berlin headquarters. While the move surprised affected staff, it was reportedly internally planned for some time. Enpal, a growing startup in the renewable energy industry, is reorganizing its customer service operations, requiring some employees to reapply for their positions.

German AI startup Aleph Alpha, a developer of sovereign AI solutions for European clients, has laid off approximately 50 employees as part of a strategic reorganization initiated in late 2025. The job cuts, officially confirmed in January 2026, follow a comprehensive review by the new management team aiming to sharpen the company's focus, bundle core competencies, and concentrate resources on areas with the highest growth potential. While the exact percentage of the workforce affected is not specified, the move highlights that even well-financed AI ventures must continually refine their business models and achieve economic scalability in a competitive market. The company maintains its long-term mission and states no further layoffs are currently planned.

EyeEm, a Berlin-based stock photography community and marketplace founded in 2011, is officially shutting down on January 16, 2026, following its acquisition by Freepik after a 2023 bankruptcy filing. Once considered a thriving tech startup and Instagram competitor, the platform will cease operations, ending all contractual relationships with contributors. Photographers can transfer their content to Freepik; otherwise, their images will be removed from EyeEm and partner agencies like Getty Images. The closure marks the end of a company that, despite early success and photographer earnings, faced controversies over unpaid royalties and could not sustain its business model in the competitive digital content industry.

On July 28th, 2025, ad-blocking and privacy software company Eyeo announced a major strategic overhaul, including a leadership change and significant staff reductions. The company is laying off 40% of its global workforce. While the exact total employee count was not officially confirmed, references to a team of over 300 suggest the layoffs affect more than 120 people, primarily in support roles. This restructuring coincides with the appointment of a new CEO, Douglas de Jager, and marks a strategic pivot for the company. Eyeo is shifting its focus from its core ad-blocking products toward building new privacy-centric tools designed to make online advertising private by default, a move the company calls a "strategic refounding."

Forto laid off 200 employees on 2025-04-12.

Wayfair laid off 340 employees on 2025-03-07.

Commercetools, a headless commerce platform valued at $1.9 billion, has laid off dozens of employees, including a round affecting around 10% of its staff on February 26, 2025, after failing to meet aggressive sales growth targets. The layoffs, part of a broader restructuring in marketing, sales, and internal operations, follow executive changes and reflect challenges in the e-commerce industry post-pandemic. While the company disputes figures beyond the recent cuts, sources suggest reductions over several weeks may total up to 20% of staff, with Commercetools maintaining 25-30 open roles amid the adjustments.

Chrono24 laid off 110 employees representing approximately 24% of its workforce on 2025-01-16.

HeyJobs laid off 90 employees on 2025-01-15.

Wayfair, the online home goods retailer, is laying off up to 730 employees, representing about 3% of its global workforce, as it exits the German market. The decision, announced in late 2024, stems from the challenges of scaling profitably in Germany, where weak macroeconomic conditions and limited brand awareness made growth a costly, long-term endeavor. The company will reallocate these resources toward initiatives with stronger returns, such as expanding its physical retail presence. Approximately half of the affected corporate, customer service, and warehouse employees may retain their jobs if they relocate to other company hubs like London or Boston.

German electric aircraft startup Lilium has ceased operations and laid off approximately 1,000 employees, representing the bulk of its workforce, after failing to secure financing and exit insolvency. The layoffs, confirmed in late December 2024, followed an earlier round of about 200 job cuts. Founded in 2014, the company had raised over $1 billion and gone public in 2021, developing a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft. Despite attracting major backers and orders, Lilium struggled financially for months and filed for insolvency in October 2024 after a failed bid for German government aid. A potential rescue emerged just after the shutdown announcement, with a consortium agreeing to acquire subsidiaries to facilitate a restructuring.

Berlin-based conversational marketing platform Spectrm, a startup in the SaaS and marketing technology industry, has filed for preliminary bankruptcy proceedings, resulting in layoffs that effectively affect its entire workforce. The company, which had around 50 employees, communicated the news abruptly via a company-wide Slack message on October 29, 2024, without prior notice to non-executive staff. This sudden announcement highlights a severe breakdown in communication during the downsizing process, as the firm succumbed to financial difficulties despite a generally improving tech sector.

Adjust, a mobile app measurement and marketing company owned by AppLovin, has conducted multiple rounds of layoffs in 2024, with WARN notices indicating at least 304 job cuts across filings from August to November. The exact number of employees affected in this specific event is unclear, as reports suggest these may be separate or related rounds. Following its $1 billion acquisition by AppLovin in April 2021, Adjust has seen leadership changes, including the appointment of a new CEO. The layoffs occur despite AppLovin reporting strong Q3 2024 financials, with revenue up 39% year-over-year to $1.2 billion. The company operates in the mobile app and gaming industry, with AppLovin employing over 500 staff globally at the time of the acquisition.

Personio, a Munich-based HR tech unicorn, laid off 115 employees on November 7, 2024, affecting approximately 6% of its workforce. Founder and CEO Hanno Renner explained the decision in an open statement, citing that costs had grown disproportionately to revenue, necessitating significant savings. He described the layoffs as one of the toughest decisions of his career, taking full responsibility for the strategic missteps that led to this outcome. The company operates in the HR software industry and is considered a large-scale unicorn startup.

On September 3, 2024, Matter Labs, the creator of the Ethereum layer-2 scaling solution ZKsync, announced a company restructuring that included laying off 16% of its workforce. The decision was driven by the company's evolving role within the increasingly decentralized ZKsync ecosystem, particularly following the launch of the Elastic Chain and ZK Nation. CEO Alex Gluchowski stated that the restructuring aims to align the team with the needs of a rapidly changing market, emphasizing that Matter Labs has historically thrived with a leaner structure. All affected employees were offered severance packages. This move comes after the company faced industry backlash earlier in the year for attempting to trademark the term "zero-knowledge," which it later withdrew.

German online eyewear retailer Mister Spex is laying off approximately 130 employees, representing about 10% of its total workforce of 1,300, as part of a major restructuring program called "SpexFocus" approved in mid-August 2024. The plan, aimed at significantly improving profitability and cash flow, also involves closing all eight of its international physical stores. This decisive move follows disappointing financial results, including a €9.3 million loss in Q1 2024, a steep 89% decline in its share price since its 2021 IPO, and reported internal disagreements among shareholders and supervisory board members. The company, operating in the eyewear/e-commerce industry, expects these measures to boost its EBITDA by over €20 million in 2025 and 2026.

Infineon laid off 1,400 employees on 2024-08-05.

Delivery Hero laid off 200 employees on 2024-07-31.

Trade Republic, a German neobroker and fintech company, is laying off dozens of employees as it shuts down its in-house customer service operations. The move involves closing its subsidiary, Trade Republic Service GmbH, effective immediately. While the company states it will relocate some expert roles to its banking entity, the majority of the customer service team—estimated to be at least 50 employees—are being let go. This restructuring, which outsources customer support to larger, specialized centers across Europe, comes amid recent criticism of the company's customer service performance and communication issues with clients. The layoffs reflect a strategic shift to streamline operations in the competitive fintech and online brokerage industry.

Emma Sleep, a Frankfurt-based mattress manufacturer, has laid off 200 employees, representing 18% of its global workforce of 1,120. CEO Dennis Schmoltzi attributed the job cuts to challenging market conditions, citing prolonged instability in the e-commerce and home furnishings sectors. The company has adjusted its outlook, planning for no growth this year, and is realigning its organizational structure accordingly. Additionally, the implementation of new operational and financial systems proved more complex than anticipated, creating further challenges. Despite the layoffs, Emma Sleep continues to hire for roles in sales and e-commerce. The company, which operates internationally and reported revenues approaching €900 million, is scaling back after a period of rapid expansion.

Ladenzeile, the e-commerce aggregator owned by Axel Springer and part of the Idealo group, is shutting down by the end of June 2024, resulting in layoffs for its entire team. The company, which has struggled with declining relevance for years, cited a changed market situation and the need to focus resources on Idealo's core price comparison business. A key factor is the challenging digital advertising environment dominated by a few major players like Google, making Ladenzeile's model of directing customers to shops unprofitable. Founded in 2008, the platform had seen its traffic become negligible for many retailers. The closure reflects broader industry pressures in e-commerce aggregation.

Wefox laid off 60 employees on 2024-05-16.

Berlin-based mobile game developer Popcore, a subsidiary of Zynga's Rollic, underwent a wave of layoffs on February 12, 2024, impacting a number of key staff members including leads and senior developers. The exact number of employees affected and the percentage remain undisclosed, but the cuts are part of a broader industry trend of tech and gaming layoffs. The studio, known for free-to-play hits like Parking Jam 3D with over half a billion installs, saw several long-term employees, some with over three years at the company, announce their departures on LinkedIn following the restructuring.

SAP, the German software giant, announced a major restructuring plan on Tuesday that will affect over 7% of its global workforce, equating to approximately 8,000 employees out of its total of about 108,000. The company aims to manage this shift through voluntary buyouts and internal job changes, expecting its overall headcount to remain stable by the end of 2024. This move is part of SAP's strategy to accelerate growth and become more cloud-centric, heavily investing in artificial intelligence to drive future revenue. The restructuring reflects broader industry trends where tech companies are adjusting to economic pressures and shifting priorities, following similar actions by other major firms. SAP also revised its 2025 profit outlook due to the costs associated with this transformation.

Wayfair, the online home goods retailer, announced on Friday that it is laying off approximately 1,650 employees, representing 13% of its global workforce. This includes a 19% reduction in its corporate team, with a focus on management and leadership positions. The company, which has implemented its third major restructuring since summer 2022, stated the move aims to streamline operations, cut management layers, and reduce costs after over-hiring during the pandemic-driven sales boom. The layoffs are expected to save Wayfair about $280 million. CEO Niraj Shah attributed the cuts to a need to align staffing with current business levels amid persistent weakness in the home goods category, following a period where annual sales doubled to $18 billion. The announcement comes amid a wave of layoffs in the retail sector, including recent cuts by Hasbro, Etsy, and Macy's.

Berlin-based food waste startup Sirplus has filed for insolvency in January 2024, leading to significant layoffs. The company, which employed around 100 people, was forced to let go of a substantial portion of its workforce after failing to secure necessary funding in a challenging market environment. Founded in 2017, Sirplus operated in the foodtech and sustainability sector, rescuing surplus food from producers and selling it through subscription boxes. The insolvency marks a setback for the impact-driven startup, which had partnered with hundreds of suppliers to combat food waste.

New Work SE laid off 400 employees on 2024-01-11.

In January 2024, Berlin-based startup Pitch, the company behind collaborative presentation software, underwent a major restructuring. The company laid off approximately 80 employees, which represented about two-thirds of its workforce, reducing headcount from around 120. Co-founder and CEO Christian Reber stepped down, with CTO Adam Renklint taking over as the new CEO. The layoffs and leadership change were part of a strategic shift to abandon its previous hyper-growth, venture-backed model. Facing the challenging economic climate for startups in 2023 and acknowledging that expectations had become unsustainable, Pitch decided to reset its company and cap table with investors. The firm is now focusing on bootstrapping, pursuing profitability, and aiming for organic growth instead. Pitch had raised over $130 million from notable investors prior to this pivot.

Delivery Hero on 2023-12-18.

Curalie representing approximately 100% of its workforce on 2023-12-14.

Solarisbank, a major Berlin-based fintech, has announced another round of layoffs this week as part of its ongoing restructuring. The company is cutting between 20 and 30 employees, alongside three departures in upper management. This reduction follows previous workforce adjustments and reflects broader challenges in the fintech sector, where companies are streamlining operations to improve profitability. The move underscores the continued pressure on tech-driven financial services firms to achieve sustainable business models amid shifting market conditions.

In early December 2023, Berlin-based software unicorn Contentful laid off approximately 50 employees, representing about 7% of its then roughly 750-person global workforce. The cuts affected staff across all regions as the company, a provider of headless CMS systems to major clients like Siemens and Spotify, sought to refocus on key priorities and adapt to shifting market conditions. A spokesperson described it as a necessary adjustment to balance growth with efficiency in a rapidly changing industry. This move, while smaller than many tech layoffs in 2023, reflects the broader trend of companies recalibrating after the investment boom of 2021.

German micromobility company Tier Mobility laid off 22% of its workforce in November 2023 as part of a continued push to achieve profitability. This marked another round of job cuts for the scooter and e-bike startup, following previous layoffs in 2022. Facing a challenging funding environment and stalled acquisition talks, the company has shifted its strategy from growth to cost reduction. CEO Lawrence Leuschner stated that while Tier improved its financial performance and expects profitability in most of its key markets for 2023, further cost reductions were necessary due to uncertain market recovery. The layoffs are aimed at lowering the operational cost base to reach sustainable profitability.

McMakler laid off 60 employees on 2023-11-21.

StepStone laid off 215 employees representing approximately 5% of its workforce on 2023-10-30.

Sono Motors, a German electric vehicle and solar technology startup, has implemented a workforce reduction as part of significant business restructuring. The layoffs are connected to ongoing final negotiations with potential investors and a strategic shift to ensure the company's long-term stability. This restructuring aligns with a streamlined business model that will initially focus on its Solar Bus Kit product. While the exact number of employees affected and the total workforce size were not specified in the announcement, the move includes changes to management and reflects a difficult decision made to adapt the corporate structure for future operations. The automotive and clean tech industry company is undergoing this transformation to secure its financial future and refine its market focus.

German neobank N26 is implementing further cost-cutting measures, including laying off approximately 14 employees from its recruiting and workplace management teams. This follows a previous round of layoffs earlier in the year affecting about 70 staff, or 4% of its workforce. With a current total of around 1,700 employees, these reductions reflect a decreased hiring need and a shift toward more remote work. The company, which recently moved into a large new headquarters in Berlin, is also seeking to sublet part of its office space due to lower physical attendance. N26 aims to achieve profitability in the coming year while continuing to fill select strategic positions.

German real estate startup Homeday, facing a severe market downturn, has been fully acquired by media conglomerate Axel Springer. As part of this takeover and a strategic refocusing, the company is cutting one-fifth of its workforce. The exact number of layoffs is not specified, but this significant reduction coincides with the departure of all three founders. The move, confirmed in September 2023, is a direct response to the crisis in the property sector, where high inflation, rising interest rates, and sustained high prices have drastically reduced buyer activity and transaction volumes, crippling Homeday's commission-based business model.

Based on the provided spreadsheet data, which appears to be a crowdsourced list of professionals affected by layoffs, the company JOIN has experienced workforce reductions. The document shows multiple entries from August 2023, indicating individuals in roles such as Revenue Operations, DevOps Engineering, and Product Design based in Berlin who are now seeking new positions. While the exact number of layoffs at JOIN is not specified in this snippet, the list suggests a significant impact, particularly on their European operations. The context points to broader tech industry trends of restructuring and cost-cutting that occurred throughout 2023. The company scale and total employee count are not detailed, but the affected roles span mid to senior-level experience.

Munich-based luxury delivery startup Arive has halted operations and laid off half of its workforce amid severe financial difficulties. The company, which temporarily suspended its service at the end of June 2023, is now urgently seeking a buyer after cost-cutting measures and a revised business model failed to stem losses. Operating in the competitive on-demand delivery industry, this small-scale startup faced ongoing challenges in achieving profitability, leading to significant staff reductions and an uncertain future.

PaulCamper, a German campervan sharing platform in the travel and mobility industry, has conducted layoffs affecting at least six employees, including lead and senior engineers across frontend, mobile, backend, and site reliability roles. The exact date of the layoffs is not specified in the provided data, and the total number of employees or the percentage impacted is unclear. The context suggests these job cuts are part of a restructuring or downsizing effort, likely driven by broader economic challenges or strategic shifts common in the tech and startup sectors. The company operates as a peer-to-peer marketplace, and this reduction in technical staff indicates a significant operational adjustment.

Highsnobiety, a Berlin-based streetwear and youth culture media platform owned by German e-commerce giant Zalando, laid off 24 employees last week, representing about 10 percent of its workforce. The company cited unfavorable economic conditions and the need for cost-cutting measures as reasons for the reduction. Acquired by Zalando in June 2022, Highsnobiety operates in the fashion and lifestyle media industry, having evolved from a sneaker blog into a broader publisher. The layoffs reflect broader challenges in the digital media and retail sectors amid economic pressures.

In June 2023, German online fashion retailer Zalando provided further details on its planned job cuts, which were initially announced in February. The company is eliminating several hundred positions, primarily within administrative functions, as part of a broader restructuring effort to streamline operations and improve efficiency. As a major player in the e-commerce industry, Zalando is implementing a voluntary severance program to manage the reduction, which affects a notable portion of its workforce, though specific figures on total employees and exact percentages were not fully disclosed in this update.

Staffbase, a Chemnitz-based unicorn startup specializing in employee communication software, laid off approximately 90 employees in early June 2023. The company, which had around 600 employees prior to the cuts, reduced its workforce by about 15% as part of a restructuring effort to streamline operations and reduce complexity. This move reflects broader challenges in the tech industry, where startups face increasing investor caution due to economic pressures like inflation and geopolitical tensions. Staffbase, valued at over $1 billion after a major funding round just a year earlier, cited the consolidation of product development to its Berlin and Saxony offices, while closing other locations, as key reasons for the layoffs. The reductions particularly affected staff from recently acquired subsidiaries, as the company adjusted its post-expansion strategy.

In June 2023, Berlin-based digital coaching platform CoachHub laid off approximately 10% of its global workforce. This marked the second round of layoffs within just a few months, following a similar reduction in January. The company, which had around 850 employees globally after a major €200 million funding round in mid-2022, cited the need for a leaner organizational structure to ensure sustainable business development and move toward profitability. The decision was driven by challenging economic conditions, including rising interest rates, high inflation, and difficult financial markets in Europe and the U.S., which forced the startup to lower its 2023 revenue forecast and implement cost-saving measures. Concurrently, leadership changes were announced, with Matti Niebelschütz becoming sole CEO. Operating in the corporate training and HR tech industry, CoachHub is considered a high-growth startup and a potential future unicorn.

Berlin-based real estate startup McMakler has laid off 60 employees, representing about 8% of its workforce, as it faces what its CEO calls the worst property crisis in 50 years. This marks the third round of layoffs in less than a year for the company, following over 200 job cuts in 2022. The firm, founded in 2015, cites a severe downturn in the housing market, with rising interest rates and construction costs slashing demand and transactions. CEO Felix Jahn notes a 23-25% drop in homes sold via its platform in early 2023 and expects revenue to fall significantly this year, though he still aims for monthly profitability in the second half.

German fintech startup Taxfix, valued at $1 billion, has laid off 120 employees, representing 20% of its workforce, as part of a restructuring effort to cut costs amid a challenging funding environment. The layoffs were announced on May 30, 2023, following the company's recent acquisition of rival tax chatbot Steuerbot, which created synergies and increased operational efficiencies. This move reflects broader pressures on startups to conserve cash and pursue profitability in a tightened market.

In May 2023, Hamburg-based food delivery startup Circus Kitchens laid off 35 employees, representing about 25% of its headquarters staff. The layoffs included 18 headquarters roles and 17 operational positions. The company cited restructuring due to temporarily suspending service in one of its three Hamburg delivery zones and shifting focus toward offering pickup options, which required kitchen adjustments. Additionally, Circus pointed to the uncertain economic climate within the startup ecosystem and a strategic push for operational efficiency and profitability as reasons for the headquarters cuts. Despite rumors, the company denied financial issues, noting it secured €11 million in seed funding in late 2022. Founded in 2021 by Nikolas Bullwinkel, a co-founder of Flink, Circus operates in the competitive food delivery industry.

Flink, a Berlin-based rapid grocery delivery service, has secured a €150 million emergency funding round led by existing investors like Rewe and DoorDash, despite a significant drop in valuation from €2.5 billion to around €1 billion. This comes after the company avoided a speculated sale to competitor Getir. The funding follows a period of severe challenges for the quick-commerce sector post-pandemic, with Flink having already laid off over 8,000 employees last year to cut costs. While this new capital injection provides a temporary lifeline, it highlights ongoing struggles to achieve profitability in the industry.