Italian technology company Bending Spoons announced the acquisition of route-planning app Komoot on Wednesday, with job losses possible as a result.
Bending Spoons owns several well-known tech brands, including Evernote, WeTransfer, Issuu, and Brightcove. In a press release announcing the acquisition, it claims to serve a billion people, with more than 300 million people using its products each month.
A report by Sportive stated that staff at Komoot were "totally blindsided" by the sale. The company employs 150 people, including around 25 in the UK. Sportive.com reported that "the jobs of most if not all of Komoot's staff are now understood to be at risk following a short transition phase as Bending Spoons assess their new acquisition".
Companies bought by Bending Spoons in recent years have faced mass job losses upon acquisition, with Evernote and Mosaic seeing their entire workforce laid off, while WeTransfer laid off 75% of its staff, Brightcove laid off 66%, and MeetUp laid off a "significant portion".
Alongside expected layoffs, the future of Komoot sponsorships, including the Komoot Women's Rally series, is also up in the air. It's unclear whether the app will also remain free to use. Earlier this month, Komoot announced that new users would have to buy a premium subscription to sync routes to their devices.
"For 17 years, we have been on a mission to make outdoor adventures accessible to all," said Komoot CEO and co-founder Markus Hallerman.
"From humble beginnings in our student rooms, we've built Komoot from the ground up and grown it to 45 million users, making it Europe's leading outdoor platform. Komoot inspires millions to explore the outdoors, improving both physical and mental well-being, and continues to grow worldwide.
"However, 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. That's why we believe Bending Spoons, with its unique expertise in driving innovation and scaling platforms, is the perfect partner to lead Komoot into the future."
Bending Spoons CEO and co-founder Luca Ferrari said that he was "deeply impressed by Komoot's achievements over the past 17 years", adding that he was "enthusiastic about its future growth potential".
"By leveraging the Bending Spoons expertise and platform technologies, we're confident we can help Komoot go from strength to strength for many years to come," he added.
