Personio is profitable for the first time and is acquiring the AI startup aurio to expand its recruiting business.
For the first time since it was founded, the Munich-based HR software provider Personio is profitable. At the same time, the startup is taking over the recruiting AI provider Aurio.
Personio is one of the best-known HR tech companies in Europe. More than 16,000 corporate customers use the software, which manages around 1.5 million employees.
The fact that the company is now profitable fits in with a larger trend: the focus in the industry is shifting noticeably – away from pure growth and towards business models that are sustainable.
This change of course is also evident internally. In October 2025, Personio laid off 165 employees, around ten percent of the workforce – it was the third major wave of layoffs within a year and a half. At the same time, the company withdrew from the US and closed its New York office to focus more on Europe.
AI startup Aurio is bought
While Personio reduces costs and sharpens focus, the company makes targeted investments in AI. With the acquisition of Aurio, it is bringing technology in-house that is intended to automate central parts of recruiting. The Munich startup develops agent-based AI systems – i.e. software that processes processes independently.
The need for this is growing. Recruiting is becoming increasingly inefficient for many companies: there are more applications for open positions than before, and at the same time the quality often drops. One reason is the growing number of automated applications. For HR teams, this primarily means more mass, not necessarily better candidates.
Aurio starts at exactly this point – with the search and pre-selection. Some of the work should be automated before recruiters even intervene. Personio wants to integrate these functions into its existing recruiting product, which is already used by thousands of companies.
Profitability, job cuts and AI acquisitions paint a clear picture: Personio is developing from a pure growth startup into a more focused, efficient and AI-driven HR player.
