True Anomaly, a space and defense startup, has reduced its workforce by approximately 25%. The company has also cancelled its summer internship program.
Company Statement
A spokesperson for the company stated that the rapid growth of the past two years led to a thorough review of the company’s structure. This review identified duplicate roles and functions, leading to a reduction in headcount. The spokesperson assured that this will not affect the company’s ability to fulfill customer contracts or its mission to enhance security and sustainability in space.
Layoffs Details
While the exact number of employees prior to the layoffs is unconfirmed, True Anomaly reported having over 100 employees in December 2023. Nearly 30 employees were let go, as revealed by a LinkedIn post. Affected employees, who began posting about the layoffs on April 24, were from sales, business development, and recruiting. Some interns were informed on April 19 that the summer internship program, scheduled to start on June 1, was cancelled.
Company’s Financial Status
In December, the Colorado-based startup closed a $100 million financing round. At that time, the company reported a staff count of 107. Earlier this month, CEO Even Rogers stated in an interview that the company is well-capitalized.
True Anomaly’s Mission
True Anomaly aims to revolutionize space defense with its Jackal spacecraft and Mosaic software platform. The company plans to use Jackals in orbit to approach, image, and gather intelligence on other objects.
Mission X
The company launched its first mission, Mission X, on March 4. However, the mission ended prematurely due to communication issues with the two deployed spacecraft. Despite this setback, the company plans to launch at least twice more in the next 12 months.
Internship Program Cancellation
An anonymous source, who was offered an internship, told TechCrunch that the internship program was cancelled due to the company’s lack of resources to organize and supervise intern projects. The team is also beginning work on a $30 million responsive space contract awarded earlier this month.
