AUSTIN, Texas — Bumble Inc., the company behind the Bumble and Badoo dating apps, said Wednesday it will cut 30% of its staff, about 240 jobs, which is nearly a third of its worldwide staff.
The move, revealed in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, is part of a larger plan to lower expenses and sharpen the company’s focus as the online dating industry faces new obstacles. Bumble expects these layoffs to save $40 million per year, with most of the money going back into making better products and improving technology.
This decision follows a steep drop in Bumble’s market value. When the company went public in February 2021, it was worth $13 billion, with shares starting at $76. Now, Bumble’s value has sunk to just over $500 million, and its stock closed at $6.51 on Wednesday, down 92% from its first day.
Despite the bad news, Bumble did raise its second-quarter revenue estimate to between $244 million and $249 million, up from its earlier projection. This sparked a 24.7% increase in the stock price that day, though shares are still well below their peak.
“Bumble and the dating industry are both at a turning point,” wrote CEO and founder Whitney Wolfe Herd in a staff email, as reported by The Wall Street Journal. “We need to make bold changes now to create a company that is focused and ready for the future.”
Wolfe Herd, who helped start Tinder before founding Bumble in 2014, stepped back in as CEO in March 2025 after more than a year away. Her return signals a renewed effort to turn things around.
Dating Apps Face Big Challenges
Bumble’s struggles reflect wider problems across the dating app market. The company, which also owns Badoo, Fruitz, Official, and Bumble For Friends, reported a $557 million net loss last year despite $1.07 billion in revenue. In early 2025, revenue fell 8% compared to the year before, and the average amount spent by users who pay dropped 7.3%. The number of users also dropped from 58 million in 2023 to 50 million last year.
Rival Match Group, owner of Tinder and Hinge, has faced similar setbacks, recently letting go of 13% of its employees. Slow economic growth, rising prices, and changing habits among younger people—especially Gen Z, who don’t use dating apps as much—have stalled growth. As one X user put it, the “swipe right” era that attracted Millennials is falling flat with Gen Z, a feeling echoed by analysts.
Bumble’s latest round of cuts will cost the company between $13 million and $18 million in severance and other benefits, mostly during the second half of 2025. This comes after Bumble cut 350 jobs, or 37% of its staff at the time, in February 2024.
JPMorgan analysts said they didn’t expect cuts this deep, pointing out that Bumble had already planned $15 million in savings for the back half of this year. “The scale of the layoffs is surprising,” they wrote, and added that there’s not much room left for more cuts.
From Sky-High Valuation to a Steep Drop
Bumble’s rapid decline highlights the ups and downs of the tech sector, especially for dating apps. When it went public, Bumble was known for putting women in control of conversations, a unique feature at the time. With Badoo strong in Europe and Latin America, Bumble seemed positioned for global growth. But since then, the company has struggled with fewer active users, trouble making money, and more competition.
Badoo, which Bumble acquired in 2006, also hasn’t kept up as new platforms like Hinge and niche dating apps gain ground. While it’s hard to say exactly how much Badoo was worth in 2021, its value was part of Bumble’s $13 billion market cap at IPO. Now, with Bumble worth much less, Badoo’s share has likely shrunk, too.
Chandler Willison, an analyst at M Science, told Reuters that Bumble’s staff cuts show a shift away from chasing short-term gains to building a platform that works better for users. Under Wolfe Herd’s guidance, Bumble is focusing on a better experience, smarter matching, and stronger profile checks.
AI Takes Centre Stage in Dating Apps
With $40 million in annual savings to put back into the company, Bumble is putting a lot of attention on technology, especially artificial intelligence. AI could help fix some of the biggest complaints about dating apps, like fake accounts, bad matches, and user burnout.
Apps are already trying out AI tools. Tinder has rolled out AI to help users pick their best photos, and Hinge uses machine learning to improve its “Most Compatible” feature. Bumble has talked about adding AI-driven match suggestions, which could use what they know about users’ habits and preferences to suggest better connections.
“AI could make online dating more about real connections and less about endless swiping,” said Dr. Elena Martinez, a tech researcher at the University of Texas at Austin. “With smarter tools and predictive analytics, apps like Bumble could help users spend less time searching and more time chatting with people who actually interest them.”
Advanced AI can also boost safety, which is top of mind for dating apps. Bumble has always made safety a priority with features like photo checks and reporting tools. AI could spot scams and harassment faster, making the platform safer. But rolling out these systems can be expensive, and fewer staff might slow down progress.
There are some risks with using more AI. Too much automation could make dating apps feel less personal, and there are privacy concerns with collecting so much user data. “If Bumble leans too hard on AI, it could lose the personal feel that set it apart,” said Martinez.
What’s Next for Bumble?
Cutting 30% of its staff and shifting its strategy shows Bumble is at a major crossroads. Wolfe Herd wants to bring back a start-up attitude and drive new ideas, hoping to recapture what made Bumble stand out early on. But the road ahead is tough. The company needs to win back users, outshine rivals, and adapt to how dating is changing.
For the employees losing their jobs, the news is tough. Bumble says it will offer severance and extended benefits, but morale and momentum could take a hit. “These choices were not made lightly, and we really appreciate everything our employees have done,” a Bumble spokesperson told The Associated Press.
As dating apps try to find their footing, Bumble’s push to upgrade technology and improve the user experience could help it bounce back—or show where the model falls short. Investors seem cautiously hopeful, thanks to cost savings and better revenue forecasts. Whether Bumble sees brighter days ahead remains an open question.
Sources: Reuters, The Wall Street Journal
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