Web browser and search startup Brave has laid off 27 employees across multiple divisions, TechCrunch has learned. The company confirmed the layoffs but declined to provide details on the total number of employees remaining or the reasons for the layoffs. That’s a significant chunk of the company’s workforce. Brave has about 191 employees, according to PitchBook.
The new workforce cuts come nearly 10 months after the company cut 9% of its workforce in October 2023. At the time, the company said the cuts were part of an effort to “manage costs in this challenging economic environment.”
Brave has been actively leveraging AI in its products launched this year, after adding several cryptocurrency-related features. The company has launched its AI assistant Leo on desktop.It will be released in stages for Android, iPad, and iPhone.
The company integrated its own search results with the Leo chatbot in June, allowing users to ask for sports scores or get additional context on the article they are reading without leaving the page. The company also sells a Leo Premium subscription for $14.99 per month, which gives access to better models and higher quota rates.
Earlier this month, after months of testing, the company began allowing all users to plug in their own models for use in their browsers.
Brave didn't specify whether the costs of developing and operating AI-centric features were one of the factors driving the layoffs.
