Bird layoffs: headcount fell from more than 1,000 to 120, and the messaging company says automation drove it

Bird, the Dutch business-messaging company, says its headcount has fallen from more than 1,000 at its peak to 120, and credits automation, not a shrinking business. In a release on 23 September 2026 announcing $450 million of debt financing, the company said the drop was "driven by extensive automation across the business rather than a retreat from the market", Tech.eu reported. Founder Robert Vis said: "We didn't automate to cut headcount, we did it to become more productive, and the headcount came down as a result." He added that the business now runs "at a fraction of the size we used to be". The company says it made $165 million in EBITDA in 2025, and the financing goes to existing shareholders, not growth. The figure covers several rounds over roughly three years, including the cut of about 20% in May that Vis tied partly to AI, so it is a running total rather than a new cut. That is why this account adds nothing new to the AI layoffs tracker.