Innoviz Technologies to Lay Off 25% of Staff Amid Defense Pivot
Israeli autotech firm Innoviz Technologies is laying off 25% of its staff, or over 90 employees, in its third restructuring wave. The company is pivoting toward the defense and counter-drone sectors.
Innoviz Technologies, an Israeli developer of LiDAR sensors based in Rosh HaAyin, is laying off approximately 25% of its workforce, impacting over 90 employees. This marks the third wave of layoffs at the company in recent years, following cutbacks of 13% in 2024 and 9% in 2025. As of late 2025, Innoviz employed 372 people, with 344 based in Israel, mostly engaged in research and development.
Founded and led by CEO Omer Keilaf, Innoviz has recently expanded into the defense sector, focusing on counter-drone (Counter-UAS) solutions. The company's LiDAR technology, originally developed for autonomous vehicles, is now being integrated into systems for detecting and tracking unmanned aerial threats. Notably, Mobileye previously developed its own LiDAR technology before shutting down that unit and partnering with Innoviz.
Innoviz is traded on Nasdaq with a market capitalization of $66 million, a sharp decline from its peak valuation of $1.4 billion when it went public via a SPAC merger in 2021. To bolster its defense strategy, the company recently appointed Yoav Har-Even, the former CEO of Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, to its board of directors.
