After mega-deal 2015

The end is fixed: Adidas pulls the plug on runtastic

adidas bought Runtastic for 220 million euros in 2015. Now the start-up fairytale made in Upper Austria is coming to an end.

(Bild: Wenzel Markus)

For a long time, it was the role model for many founders: the success story of Runtastic. In 2015, Florian Gschwandtner, René Giretzlehner, Alfred Luger and Christian Kaar sold the software company from Pasching (Upper Austria) to adidas. For 220 million euros! Now the sporting goods giant is pulling the plug on the company. 170 employees are affected by the end.

After the takeover by adidas in 2015, for which the Germans forked out around 220 million euros, Runtastic had become increasingly quiet in recent years. While the founders around Florian Gschwandtner had previously made repeated public appearances, the tide turned in the hands of the sporting goods giant.

The first staff cuts were announced last year. 70 of the approximately 250 employees had to leave. On Monday, the rest of the workforce was informed that adidas Runtastic was pulling the plug. The lights are going out at the locations in Pasching (Upper Austria), Salzburg and Vienna.

Runtastic was founded in 2009 by Florian Gschwandtner, René Giretzlehner, Christian Kaar and Alfred Luger. Hansi Hansmann was an investor and supporter from the very beginning.

Gschwandtner left the company at the end of 2018 and was succeeded as Managing Director by Scott Dunlap.

What does adidas itself say? The company explains that it will bundle the activities related to the "adidas Running" app in Herzogenaurach, Amsterdam and Zaragoza in the future. The three Runtastic offices will therefore be closed by mid-2025.

170 employees affected
The approximately 170 employees currently working there can apply for positions at the adidas locations. "We will do everything we can to make the transition as smooth as possible and offer comprehensive support," says Tobias Seemann, Senior Vice President Global Digital & eCommerce at adidas.