Forto Layoffs
Industry Logistics · Location Berlin · Germany · Subscribe (RSS)
Forto has 2 publicly reported layoff rounds on record between November 11, 2022 and April 12, 2025. A total of about 260 employees were affected across these rounds.
Layoff history
Berlin-based digital freight forwarder Forto cut around 200 jobs in April 2025, eliminating over one-third of its roughly 700-person workforce in one of its deepest restructurings since founding. Sales teams bore the brunt of the reductions. The company, which had raised approximately 500 million euros from backers including SoftBank and Northzone at a peak valuation of $2.1 billion, cited a shift toward "sharpening commercial priorities" and deploying AI to drive operational excellence. The layoffs came shortly after a leadership change: co-founder Michael Wax stepped down as CEO in February 2025, with former CFO Guillaume Petit-Perrin taking the top role. Employees described the termination meetings as impersonal, with HR representatives reading prepared statements without empathy. Forto had also cut staff in 2022 and 2023. No severance details were disclosed.
Reason: Commercial restructuring, AI operational shift, leadership transition
Source: businessinsider.de
Forto disclosed a workforce reduction affecting its Berlin operations in November 11, 2022. Approximately 60 roles were eliminated.
Source: deutsche-startups.de
Data for Forto is compiled from public WARN Act filings and reporting linked above. See our methodology.