Envato Cuts 30% Workforce in AI-Focused Restructure
Envato eliminates 180 jobs across APAC offices post-Shutterstock acquisition. Part of broader tech layoff wave hitting Asia-Pacific as companies prioritize AI investment over headcount.
Melbourne-based digital assets platform Envato announced this week a global restructure that will eliminate approximately 30% of its roughly 600-person workforce, less than one year after its A$373 million acquisition by New York-listed Shutterstock.
Restructure Targets All Global Offices
The cuts will affect Envato's offices in Australia, New Zealand, the US, and Mexico. CEO Hichame Assi confirmed the changes follow a completed strategic review.
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"We are reducing the number of layers, creating smaller and more focused teams, and elevating the importance of individual contributors so more of us can directly impact customer outcomes," Assi said in a statement to staff. "In parallel, we are reducing operational costs to ensure we can invest further in product, marketing and AI."
The restructure includes redundancies, redeployments, role changes, and reporting line modifications across all teams. Assi acknowledged the emotional impact, stating the decisions were "not taken lightly" and promising a "respectful, professional and transparent" process.
Shutterstock Financials Show Post-Acquisition Gains
The workforce reduction is occurring alongside strong commercial performance at the parent company level. Shutterstock's Q2 2025 results show Adjusted EBITDA of US$82.2 million, up 32% year-over-year. Content revenue reached US$199.8 million, an 18% year-over-year increase representing 75% of total revenue. Shutterstock recorded severance costs of US$121,000 in that quarter as non-GAAP adjustments.
Envato, founded in Sydney in 2006 by Cyan and Collis Ta'eed, sells subscriptions for stock images, video, audio, and music. The founders exited by year-end 2024 following the Shutterstock acquisition closing in July 2024.
APAC Tech Sector Sees Parallel Workforce Reductions
Envato's announcement follows similar moves by other technology companies with Asia-Pacific connections. Block, the parent company of Afterpay, cut approximately 1,100 jobs, representing 10% of its global workforce, in early 2026. A larger planned reduction of 4,000 jobs (40% of its workforce) has also been signaled. WiseTech announced a reduction of 2,000 roles as part of its own AI-driven transformation.
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Broader data shows over 30,000 global tech layoffs were recorded in the first weeks of 2026 alone. Amazon announced approximately 16,000 job cuts in early 2026, following 20,000 in 2025, with both rounds attributed to AI-driven efficiency initiatives.
Skills Gap Compounds Regional Workforce Pressure
The restructuring wave is occurring against a documented talent readiness gap across Asia Pacific. An AWS study found 65% of Singapore firms are focused only on basic AI use cases, while 43% identify skills shortages as their primary barrier to scaling AI adoption.
Research on Asia's workforce readiness shows fewer than 35% of Asian workers self-rate as advanced in cross-disciplinary thinking, the capability most in demand during AI-driven restructuring. Approximately one in five Asian workers demonstrates AI-ready behaviors. The APAC HR technology market reached US$6.41 billion in 2024, reflecting rising demand for capability analytics and upskilling platforms.
Envato Maintains Brand Activity During Transition
Despite the internal restructure, Envato has continued external brand-building. The company recently launched a major UK branding campaign and became a sponsor of the AARON Awards, which celebrate creative excellence in the age of AI.
Shutterstock's proposed merger with Getty Images, announced in January 2025 and approved by stockholders in June 2025, is expected to add further consolidation pressure across the creative content sector. Marketing teams across Asia Pacific that rely on these platforms for stock creative assets may face additional operational changes as the three platforms integrate.
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