The food delivery service is cutting 156 jobs at its headquarters.
(Photo: dpa)
Berlin The news is now coming in weekly: Similar to the USA, numerous German start-ups and technology companies are laying off employees. In view of the continuing weakness in the economy, the turnaround in interest rates and the difficult financing situation, companies in particular that are making losses must reduce their costs as quickly as possible.
An end is not yet in sight because of the multiple crises from disrupted supply chains to high energy prices and inflation to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, says Daniel Breitinger from the Bitkom industry association.
Wave of layoffs in Germany: Layoffs at start-ups also offer opportunities
According to the service Layoffs.fyi, more people were laid off in the technology sector worldwide in December and January than since the beginning of the corona pandemic. The Bitkom Association assumes that most of those affected by the wave of layoffs in Germany will quickly find a new job. For younger start-ups, this could be an opportunity to recruit specialists who would otherwise not have been available.
The layoffs in Germany in 2023 will affect many prominent start-ups and technology companies. We have compiled the most important cases for you with figures and background to the downsizing.
Coachhub: Ten percent of the jobs will be eliminated
The online coaching provider Coachhub, which hired heavily during the corona pandemic, recently parted ways with ten percent of its workforce and thus around 80 employees. Company boss Matti Niebelschütz justified the step with the need to adapt to the macroeconomic circumstances. This is the only way to secure the future of Coachhub.
The news came as a surprise. In contrast to many other start-ups, Coachhub was able to collect 200 million dollars from investors in the summer.
Tier Mobility: Already the second wave of layoffs
The e-scooter provider Tier Mobility and the subsidiaries Spin and Nextbike have meanwhile experienced the second wave of layoffs. In the summer of 2022, the company, which operates in a highly competitive market, had already laid off 180 employees. At the beginning of the year, another 100 employees had to leave the Berlin start-up.
Tier Mobility, which is one of the so-called unicorns in Germany with a valuation of more than one billion dollars, wants to become profitable before the end of this year. Only then will the company be more independent of the money from venture capitalists, who are currently holding back with fresh rounds of financing and are paying more attention to the sustainability of the business models than they were during the corona pandemic.
Delivery Hero: Delivery service wants to save in order to become profitable
The international food delivery service Delivery Hero laid off 156 employees at its Berlin headquarters at the end of January. The company, which has meanwhile also been represented in the leading index Dax, justified the decision by making itself leaner and more efficient. Similar to many start-ups, Delivery Hero has been in the red so far. However, that is set to change this year.
In order to achieve this goal, the layoffs are necessary, it said. In addition, Delivery Hero must soon be able to finance itself, said the company, which has more than 50,000 employees worldwide.
SAP: Software giant cuts 3000 jobs
The Walldorf-based software manufacturer is cutting 3,000 of the current 112,000 jobs as part of a restructuring, 200 of them in Germany. SAP is to concentrate on its core business in the future, as company boss Christian Klein explained on January 27 at the balance sheet press conference.
Software AG: Around 200 employees have to go
Like its larger competitor SAP, Software AG is also relying on layoffs. Around 200 employees and thus four percent of the workforce have to leave the company. The Darmstadt-based company announced this at the end of January. This should reduce costs in the current year by up to 35 million euros. This is necessary because customers are currently delaying purchasing decisions due to the difficult economic environment.
In this chart you will find an overview of the layoffs since the end of November.
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