With a continued commitment to Pittsburgh, Aurora donates $65k to fund local STEM projects
September 09, 2021 | 2 min. read
Since our earliest days, Aurora has had a strong presence in Pittsburgh. As part of our commitment to continuing to grow here, we are excited to name Pittsburgh as our official corporate headquarters. To mark this moment, we are making a $65,000 donation to fund STEM-related requests from Pittsburgh teachers via DonorsChoose—a way to support future generations of technologists as they start the new school year.
“With its incredible universities and focus on innovation, Pittsburgh has been home to Aurora since we were founded and we’re committed to continued growth right here in this community. With a firm belief in the future of this city and its workforce, we’re excited to have our corporate headquarters here and be making a donation that will help fund the city’s next generation of technologists and roboticists,” shared Aurora VP of Government Relations Gerardo Interiano.
Today’s news follows an economic impact report showing that the autonomous industry is creating thousands of jobs in the region. Aurora is proud to be a part of that growth.
“Pittsburgh is the birthplace of automated vehicles and Aurora’s headquarters decision further cements our talent and our industry as leaders in this space,” Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf said. “We look forward to further collaboration with Aurora and this industry as we safely and efficiently develop the future of transportation.”
"I am incredibly pleased that Aurora has selected Pittsburgh as its corporate headquarters. Aurora has been an outstanding partner in this city and a critical part of our growing autonomous vehicle economy. Together, we will continue to make Pittsburgh a leader in 21st-century mobility," said Pittsburgh Mayor William Peduto.
Through the donation, Aurora is funding a variety of STEM-related projects: helping 3rd graders get supplies for building volcanoes, purchasing a color printer for a 5th-grade classroom, and funding a digital microscope, science experiment books, and an incubator for hatching chicken eggs.
“I’m very pleased that Aurora has chosen Pittsburgh for its headquarters. This is another sign of Pittsburgh’s leadership in technology and self-driving vehicles, with the research and workforce infrastructure that companies are looking for. I see this as a strong statement of Aurora’s faith in our community as a great place to do business,” said Congressman Mike Doyle.
“Aurora has called Pittsburgh and Allegheny County home for quite some time, but now it’s official. We are delighted that Aurora has made this decision and welcome the opportunity to continue partnering and working with the company as it builds on the innovation for which it is known,” said Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald.
The majority of our 1600 employees are based in Pittsburgh, and we continue to expand our presence in the region. The team in Pittsburgh includes software and hardware engineers, recruiting and IT, as well as legal and operations. Last year we added new office space on Smallman Street in the vibrant Strip District, along with space at 50 33rd Street, the Crucible building, 85 36th Street, and our test track in Hazelwood. We continue to grow the Pittsburgh team and have job openings for software and hardware engineers, vehicle operators, and more.
Two of Aurora’s co-founders, Chris Urmson and Drew Bagnell, pioneered work in the AV industry as graduate students at Carnegie Mellon University. And since Aurora’s founding, Pittsburgh has been home to many firsts. It’s where we drove down a test track in autonomy for the first time, and where we first autonomously navigated tunnels and drove in snow. Aurora was also the first AV company to receive official authorization from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to test our cars in the state.
In addition to Pittsburgh, other Aurora locations include the Bay Area; North Texas; Bozeman, MT; Seattle, WA; Louisville, CO; and Wixom, MI.
Delivering the benefits of self-driving technology safely, quickly, and broadly.
