Aurora, the Pittsburgh-based autonomous vehicle company, has announced a restructuring exercise that involves significant job reductions. According to media reports on January 25th, the company reduced its workforce by three percent. In media statements, Aurora explained that the restructuring aimed to enhance efficiency and momentum towards its ambitious goals. The strategic adjustments affected a limited number of roles, and the company aims to have a workforce of around 1,800 employees by the close of 2023.
Aurora is currently developing the technology that will drive forthcoming self-driving trucks. The company has established partnerships with Continental AG and Volvo and aims to roll out its initial fleet of autonomous trucks on the roads later this year. Earlier this month, the company announced the completion of the design and architecture of the hardware for the Aurora Driver autonomous driving system. This hardware is set to be manufactured by Continental in 2027.
Founded in 2017 by former employees of Tesla, Uber, and Waymo, Aurora went public to secure essential funding for the commercialization of their cutting-edge technology. In 2021, Aurora became a publicly-traded entity following a merger with a special purpose acquisition company initiated by Reid Hoffman, co-founder and investor of LinkedIn, Mark Pincus, founder of Zynga, and Michael Thompson, a managing partner.
Meanwhile, Vroom, a prominent US-based e-commerce platform for buying and selling used vehicles, has announced the discontinuation of its e-commerce operations and the winding down of its used vehicle dealership business. This strategic move aims to preserve liquidity and maximize stakeholder value through its remaining business ventures. As part of this plan, approximately 800 employees, constituting about 90 percent of the total workforce, are expected to be laid off.
