A sustainable aviation fuel startup backed by some of the world’s largest tech companies and airlines has laid off 170 employees in less than a year — a total that accounts for nearly half its workforce.
Twelve’s previously unreported layoffs occurred in two rounds, the most recent of which was at the end of October and affected 76 workers. The first reduction of 94 staffers concluded in late December 2024, according to disclosures filed with the state of California, where the company is based.
The layoffs come as the decade-old company is struggling to complete its first commercial production facility and amid a series of policy changes during the Trump administration that have undercut Twelve’s business model. It is among a handful of startups seeking to convert captured carbon dioxide into low-emissions jet fuel and other green products at a price competitive with their fossil-fuel-based alternatives.
“The company is entering an era driven by market forces, including the macroeconomic climate and the cost of developing technology and jet fuel plants,” Twelve spokesperson Leah Goodman said in a statement. “To enable this strategic evolution, the company has made commensurately significant changes to its structure, including the painful decision to enact a reduction in force for positions that are not needed in Twelve’s next phase of growth.”
