Komoot’s Acquisition by Bending Spoons Leads to Massive Layoffs
European route-planning service Komoot, recently acquired by Italian tech investor Bending Spoons, has dismissed approximately 80–85 percent of its ~150‑strong workforce within weeks of the takeover.
Prior reports warned of such deep cuts, with employees described as “totally blindsided”.
One community member on Reddit confirmed the scale:
“I personally know someone who worked for them, it’s true, they laid off more than 70 % of the staff.”
Bending Spoons has consistently taken similar actions. After acquiring Evernote, WeTransfer, Brightcove, and Meetup, each saw major headcount reductions.
Komoot’s CEO Markus Hallermann defended the deal by stating the need for new skills:
“…what got us here won’t take us to the next level. Scaling a company requires a different mindset and skill set than building one.”
This came shortly after Komoot introduced new subscription rules—charging for syncing routes to GPS devices and downloading maps, which many expected would frustrate users.
Implications for users and the platform include:
- Reduced development capacity—layoffs so far make significant future feature updates unlikely.
- Possible changes to monetization and sponsorship strategies, including paid plans and withdrawal from events previously sponsored by Komoot.
- Growing user discontent, with many vowing to find alternatives amid uncertainty about Komoot’s future direction.
In short, Bending Spoons acquired Komoot with the intentions to scale, but followed its usual strategy, massive layoffs and cost-cutting. Users and the broader outdoor tech community are now evaluating which platforms can maintain quality and innovation.
If you'd like to know alternative route-planning apps, here's a list of Komoot alternatives:
- Strava
- AllTrails
- Outdooractive
- Bikemap
- Google Maps
- Bergfex
- Gaia GPS
- OsmAnd
- Avenza Maps
- CycleGo
- Magic Earth Navigation & Maps
- OS Maps
That's all.
