Strava co-founder and CEO Michael Horvath resigns

Strava, one of the best cycling tracking apps, is on the hunt for a new CEO after Michael Horvath, the current CEO announced his resignation. In a letter posted to Strava’s press site, Horvath, who co-founded the company in 2009, said that a search is underway for his successor.

Strava has recently faced a user backlash and a chorus of criticism after confusing price rises were quietly announced to their subscribers in January, the brand then issued a public apology for the confusing hike in costs. At around the same time, they also laid off around fifteen percent of their workforce and although the resignation is not known to be connected, it could be seen as more negative press for the platform.

This will not be the first time that Horvath has resigned as CEO of Strava. In 2013, four years after he co-founded the company, he stepped down to spend more time with his wife, who was battling cancer. He returned as CEO six years later.

Horvath wrote "As co-founder and CEO of Strava, it’s only part of my job to ensure we are picking the right path to that destination. The other part of it is to ensure we always recruit and support the right leaders for the right times. I have decided that Strava needs a CEO with the experience and skills to help us make the most of this next chapter.”

Not all recent news has been bad with Strava seeing incredible growth in the past three years, becoming one of the best apps for mountain bikers and cyclists around the world, and they announced over 100 million users had joined the platform over the past few years.

Strava recently rolled out a host of new features, including 3D mapping, a new off-road interface to support high-growth trail sports like gravel cycling, and video uploading. Strava has also acquired Fatmap, a global mapping app, and is seen as an attempt by the brand to become the Google Maps of the outdoor world.