German AI translation startup DeepL is cutting 250 jobs as it restructures to stay competitive in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.
CEO and founder Jarek Kutylowski described the layoffs as a "deliberate structural choice" to ensure DeepL remains a global AI leader. The company, which employs over 1,000 people worldwide, is betting big on AI integration.
Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Cologne, DeepL has raised significant funding, including a $300 million round in 2024 at a $2 billion valuation. Its investors include ICONIQ Growth, Teachers’ Venture Growth, IVP, Atomico, and WiL.
Kutylowski emphasized that the cuts follow a thorough analysis of how the company can best operate in the AI era: "This means transforming how DeepL works from the inside out, with AI embedded into every layer of how we operate."
He added, "We are not waiting until the shift is fully obvious to everyone in the market — the right time to make a move like this is before you have to."
DeepL recently launched an AI agent called "DeepL agent" to expand beyond translation services. The startup is also developing a real-time voice translation tool and has brought on the team from US audio streaming startup Mixalo to accelerate this effort.
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