Klarna’s upcoming listing on the New York Stock Exchange follows a major transformation driven by cost reduction and a shift towards AI-powered operations. After streamlining its workforce from 5,527 in 2022 to 3,422 in 2024, Klarna has relied heavily on automation to improve both customer and employee experiences while controlling expenses.
The company, known for its buy now, pay later service, now serves over 90 million active users and 675,000 merchants across 26 countries, handling $105 billion in transactions last year. Despite previous losses—$1 billion in 2022 and $241 million in 2023—Klarna’s adoption of AI has led to a 73% increase in average revenue per employee and a 24% rise in company value in 2024.
AI has automated repetitive tasks, such as customer service and contract drafting, freeing up staff for higher-value work. Klarna’s internal AI assistant, Kiki, fields around 2,000 daily internal inquiries, while an AI chatbot launched in 2024 now performs the work of 700 employees in customer support. This chatbot has managed over two million customer conversations, reducing issue resolution time from 11 minutes to under two and cutting repeat inquiries by 25%. These changes are projected to bring a $40 million profit improvement for the year.
Klarna’s AI also enhances its shopping assistant, helping customers compare products, find the best deals, and access real-time stock and delivery information, which boosts customer satisfaction and loyalty. The company has begun replacing traditional software services for HR and CRM with in-house AI solutions, further reducing operational costs.
These innovations position Klarna not just as a fintech leader, but as an example of how businesses can use AI to drive efficiency, improve customer interactions, and increase profitability ahead of a major public offering.
