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Dating App Bumble Plans Major Layoffs To Boost Growth
- Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
- Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager
Bumble plans to reduce its workforce by 30% to save $40 million annually, and CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd will take charge of leading growth initiatives.
In a rush? Here are the quick facts:
- Bumble plans to cut 30% of its workforce, about 240 jobs.
- Layoffs expected to save Bumble $40 million annually.
- Bumble’s market value dropped from $7.7 billion to $538 million.
Bumble stock prices increased by 26% after the dating application company revealed its plan to eliminate 240 positions, which represents 30% of its workforce. The company predicts these layoffs will produce yearly savings of $40 million, as first reported by CNBC .
Bumble expects to spend between $13 million and $18 million on workforce reduction expenses, through severance payments and benefits, during the third and fourth quarters of 2025, as reported by CNBC. Despite these upfront costs, the company aims to strengthen its core business and invest the savings into new product and technology development.
A Bumble spokesperson said to CNBC, “Our focus now is on moving forward in a way that strengthens our core business, continues to serve our members effectively, and positions us for future growth.” The company described the layoffs as part of a plan to realign its operating structure to better focus on strategic priorities.
CNBC reports that Bumble’s shares had struggled since going public in 2021, with its market value dropping from $7.7 billion to about $538 million. Founder Whitney Wolfe Herd, who stepped down as CEO early last year, returned to lead the company earlier this year.
Along with the layoffs, Bumble updated its financial forecast for the current quarter. It now expects revenue between $244 million and $249 million and adjusted EBITDA of $88 million to $93 million, higher than its earlier forecast, as noted by CNBC.
The company plans to follow local laws and consultation requirements during the workforce reduction, which could extend beyond 2025’s fourth quarter in some countries.
This move comes amid a broader wave of tech companies reducing staff, driven in large part by the growing impact of AI on workforce dynamics . Across the industry, companies are restructuring and cutting jobs, often citing the need for greater efficiency as AI technologies automate more tasks.
For example, Meta recently faced criticism after laying off about 3,600 employees , roughly 5% of its workforce, including some who were on parental or medical leave, sparking concerns about fairness and transparency.
As AI increasingly takes on roles traditionally performed by humans, tech firms are using these efficiency drives to justify workforce reductions, reshaping corporate cultures and raising questions about the future job security of tech workers.
Image by DC Studio, from Freepik
- Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
- Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager
Xbow’s AI bot won the number one position on HackerOne’s US leaderboard thanks to its penetration testing automation capabilities.
In a rush? Here are the quick facts:
- Xbow automates penetration testing, saving time and reducing costs for companies.
- Startup raised $75 million led by Altimeter Capital and Sequoia Capital.
- AI found bugs in major firms like Amazon, Disney, PayPal, and Sony.
The hacker Xbow achieved first place on a leading US leaderboard for discovering software security vulnerabilities, as first reported by Bloomberg . However Xbow is not a person, but an AI tool created by a startup of the same name.
Xbow’s AI works automating penetration testing, where hackers try to find weak spots in corporate software before criminals can exploit them. Founded in January 2024 by GitHub veteran Oege de Moor, the company just raised $75 million to grow its technology, as reported by Bloomberg.
De Moor explained, “By automating this we can completely change the equation,” as reported by Bloomberg.
The current practice of manual penetration testing costs around $18,000 for each system, and requires weeks to complete. Xbow aims to enable businesses to run continuous system testing, as well as more frequent testing, to detect security issues before new products launch.
However, the technology still has limits. While Xbow excels at detecting coding errors and common security flaws, it struggles to interpret more complex product design issues, such as distinguishing sensitive information that should remain private, as reported by Bloomberg.
To address this, the startup plans to develop features that not only identify problems but also offer suggestions for fixes and improvements in the code.
Altimeter partner Apoorv Agrawal said to Bloomberg, “Cybersecurity is going through a credibility crisis […] What chief information security officers want is less, not more [alerts]. AI can help.” But he added that adopting AI tools like Xbow will require companies to change long-standing workflows and behaviors.
As cyberattacks grow more automated, tools like Xbow mark a new era where machines defend against machines.
