Compared with MSR or Brain which have over 100x their headcount, JBR punches well above their weight in CORE CS conference and journal publications.

They did write "relative" in front of small. They're a mite compared to FAANG and yet publish prolifically.

Why do they need that many for the products they have?

Sounds like just because they can but not exactly using them effectively on the new fleet offering by the look of the progress speed.