Cuts ribbon on new Aurora facility in Bozeman expected to create 70 good-paying jobs

BOZEMAN, MT - Governor Greg Gianforte last week celebrated unleashing innovation in Montana’s photonics industry and welcoming Aurora Innovation, Inc. to Bozeman.

Joining Aurora leadership, staff, and community leaders, the governor helped cut the ribbon on the new 78,000 sq. ft. office and testing facility located on Montana State University’s Innovation Campus that is expected to create over 70 good-paying Montana jobs.

“Our state is made stronger when companies like Aurora choose to grow and expand their business in Montana,” Gov. Gianforte said. “From their investments in the Bozeman community, to inspiring the next generation of innovators, Montana is seeing rapid growth in the photonics industry thanks to job creators like Aurora.”

As a leader in autonomous trucking technology, Aurora’s new facility is designed to support the continued development and testing of its proprietary FirstLight Lidar technology.

“From early on, we knew Montana’s photonics leadership would be invaluable for bringing safe, scalable self-driving technology to the world,” said Chris Urmson, co-founder and CEO at Aurora. “Our new Bozeman office deepens our commitment to the region and strengthens our ability to expand our fleet of autonomous trucks.”

In 2019, Aurora acquired Blackmore, a leading lidar company based in Bozeman. One year later, Aurora launched the first generation of FirstLight Lidar – Aurora’s proprietary lidar sensor that can detect objects at more than 450 meters away and unlocks highway driving capabilities for autonomous trucks.

Currently, Aurora has a fleet of autonomous trucks, equipped with FirstLight Lidar, that haul commercial freight on public roads in Texas. The company expects to commercially launch its autonomous trucking product in Texas in April 2025.

The Aurora Driver is a self-driving system designed to operate multiple vehicle types, from freight-hauling trucks to ride-hailing passenger vehicles. Aurora is working with industry leaders across the transportation ecosystem, including Continental, FedEx, Toyota, Uber, and others to utilize their self-driving system.

Encouraging business investment to create more good-paying jobs in Montana is a top priority for Gov. Gianforte. According to the Montana Department of Labor and Industry, last year, Montana ranked as a top state in the nation for job and wage growth and as one of only two states in the country where wage growth outpaced inflation.

To learn more about the company and its investment in Montana, visit aurora.tech.