The tech firm Brave, known for its web browser and search capabilities, has made the decision to retrench 27 of its staff members from various departments, as per information obtained by TechCrunch. While the company has acknowledged these terminations, specifics regarding the remaining workforce or the rationale behind the redundancies weren’t disclosed. Nevertheless, according to data from PitchBook, Brave’s workforce is approximated to be around 191 individuals, indicating the layoffs represent a 14% reduction in staff.
This latest series of dismissals occurred nearly 10 months after the firm dismissed 9% of its workforce back in October 2023, citing the motive was to manage expenses in a tough economic climate.
Initially carving out a niche as a ‘blockchain browser’ by incorporating numerous cryptocurrency functionalities, Brave has since pivoted towards Artificial Intelligence (AI) in its recent product launches. The company unveiled its AI assistant, Leo, across platforms including desktop, Android, iPad, and iPhone, through a phased launching approach.
In June, Brave integrated Leo with its search capabilities, enabling users to interact with the chatbot for instant information, such as live sports scores or contextual details about an article, directly without the need to switch to a search interface. Furthermore, the company offers a Leo Premium subscription at $14.99 monthly, which provides enhanced models and increased query limits.
Earlier in the month, Brave rolled out a feature allowing all users to connect their own AI models for browser usage, following a period of testing.
The expenses related to the development and maintenance of these AI-centric functionalities have not been disclosed by Brave. Consequently, it remains uncertain whether these financial burdens contributed to the recent job eliminations.
Compiled by Techarena.au.
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