Italian tech firm Bending Spoons has acquired the route-planning app Komoot, a move that has raised concerns about potential job losses within the company. Sources familiar with the matter anticipate “significant cutbacks” to Komoot’s workforce.
Bending Spoons, whose portfolio includes Evernote, Meetup, and WeTransfer, claims a monthly user base exceeding 300 million. Komoot, by contrast, has 45 million users globally.
The acquisition follows a recent announcement that new Komoot users would be required to pay a monthly fee to transfer routes to their devices.
Uncertain Future for Staff and Sponsorships
Komoot currently employs around 150 people, the majority of whom work remotely, with approximately 25 based in the UK. A report published on Sportive suggests that job cuts are expected after a brief transition phase as Bending Spoons assesses the business.
The company has cultivated a strong reputation in the outdoor industry for its close-knit, family-like work environment. The report indicates that even employees with decades of experience at the company were taken by surprise by the acquisition.
In a post on LinkedIn, Ben Thompson, the chief growth officer at insurance provider Bikmo, described Bending Spoons as “renowned [for] taking businesses and stripping the teams out,” adding that “a significant number of Komoot staff will be made redundant almost immediately.”
The acquisition also raises questions about Komoot’s sponsorship of cycling events such as the Komoot Women’s Rally series.
What This Means for Users
As of the time of this writing, Komoot’s core features remain available free of charge, with additional features such as offline maps and advanced route planning accessible through one-time purchases or a Premium subscription. It is unknown whether Bending Spoons will alter this model, but based on the company’s history of scaling platforms, changes are considered likely.
Markus Hallermann, Komoot’s CEO and co-founder, commented on the acquisition, stating, “We’ve built Komoot from the ground up and grown it to 45 million users, making it Europe’s leading outdoor platform. 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, Luca Ferrari, echoed this sentiment, acknowledging Komoot’s “impressive achievements” and expressing confidence in the company’s future growth.
