True Anomaly, a space and defense startup, recently made the decision to lay off approximately 25% of its workforce and cancel its summer internship program, as reported by TechCrunch.
In a statement, a company spokesperson explained, “With our rapid growth over the past two years, we looked at every aspect of our company to ensure we are focused on our goals. We identified areas of duplication and therefore reduced our headcount. This will not impact our ability to fulfill our contracts or our mission to enhance security and sustainability in the space industry.”
Although the total headcount prior to the layoffs could not be confirmed, True Anomaly had more than 100 employees as of December 2023, according to the Denver Business Journal. Around 30 individuals were affected by the recent workforce reduction, as mentioned in a LinkedIn post by one of the laid-off employees.
An official announcement was made on LinkedIn by employees on April 24, revealing that those impacted held roles in sales, business development, and recruiting. Additionally, the cancellation of the summer internship program was unexpectedly shared with interns on April 19, just weeks before the program was set to begin on June 1.
Despite these changes, True Anomaly recently secured a $100 million financing round in December and had a staff of 107 employees at that time. CEO Evan Rogers expressed confidence in the company’s financial stability during a recent interview.
True Anomaly is known for its innovative approach to space defense through the Jackal spacecraft and Mosaic software platform. The company’s vision includes utilizing Jackals in orbit for intelligence gathering and imaging of other orbital objects.
The startup’s first mission, Mission X, encountered communication issues and ended prematurely on March 4. However, True Anomaly remains proactive, with plans for at least two upcoming launches within the next year, including one scheduled for October.
According to a source who was offered an internship with the company, the cancellation of the internship program was attributed to limited resources available for organizing and overseeing intern projects. The team is now focusing on executing a $30 million responsive space contract awarded earlier this month.
