Welcoming ATG to Aurora

Today is a big day for us. We’re incredibly excited to welcome Uber’s self-driving unit, ATG, to Aurora and welcome Dara Khosrowshahi to our board of directors. This brings us one step closer to delivering on our mission. Here are a few thoughts I shared with our teams on today’s transformative deal.

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From: Chris Urmson 

Date: Mon, Dec 7, 2020 

Subject: Welcoming ATG to Aurora

Gang,

I’m excited to share that we’ve signed a deal to acquire Uber’s self-driving unit, Advanced Technologies Group (ATG). We are bringing our two companies together to create the best place to deliver the benefits of self-driving vehicle technology safely, quickly, and broadly.

We work in this space for a variety of reasons – the technology is fascinating; the opportunity to reshape how people and goods move throughout the world is alluring; the chance to make it safer and easier to move through the world is compelling. Many of us know someone whose life would be better if this technology existed. Perhaps a loved one will now be able to get where they’re going more easily. Perhaps a friend will be able to afford a better life as we make transportation less expensive. Perhaps an entrepreneur will be able to hire another employee because they can reach more markets, or ship their goods at a lower cost. Perhaps if we could have delivered this technology earlier, a loved one would still be alive. No matter the motivation, it’s clear that self-driving vehicles will have a profoundly important impact on the world. It’s our unique opportunity and mission to make this happen.

Together, we are in the position to lead the self-driving space, and as one company, we will have the best people, technology, and partnerships necessary to build a transformative business for the long term.

Building our technology is hard – it requires a brilliant and committed team with a clear purpose, strong alignment, and great leadership. We have amazing, high-caliber people at Aurora, and I know there are exceptional, amazing people at ATG. Together we have the critical mass necessary to deliver in this space. We have a combined leadership team that is the strongest in the industry, bar none. We have folks who have built great teams and technologies, and importantly, we have people who have weathered some very challenging storms. Together we are positioned to be the leader in this space.

One of the things I am looking forward to the most is the opportunity to unite our technology bases. We are going to do this thoughtfully, and in a way that does not rob either of our core initiatives of momentum. Dispassionately figuring out how we can take the best of what both of us have been building for the last several years, over time, commonizing our platform, and ultimately building the world’s driver for everything from light passenger vehicles through heavy-duty trucking positions us as the leader in this space.

Finally, as we all know, it takes more than technology to build a business. We need to have a clear path to market. Bringing our companies together strengthens our position here dramatically. Aurora will have a special relationship with the world’s number one ride-hailing platform, North America’s largest e-commerce platform, a top-three global automotive OEM, a top-three truck manufacturer, among others. This creates an incredible advantage for us and again, positions us to lead in the space.

All of this means that through the combination of our companies, we jump to be the top player in our space. It’s not foregone, but victory is now ours to lose. Given how the markets typically segment in platform businesses like ours, by putting ourselves in position to be the #1 player, we create a truly incredible opportunity. It's now up to us to execute - to develop the technology we need, to build the best products in trucking and light vehicles, and to execute safely and with alacrity.

As you know, one of our strengths as a company comes from our values – we focus, we set outrageous goals, and we win together. They define how we work. They help define who we’re going to be and what we value in employees. Getting these right is one of the most important aspects of scaling a company. I’m incredibly proud of how we operate and how our values have shaped our culture and our work. Our values will set the tone and guide how we welcome Alpha and collectively become one stronger team together.

I am thrilled and humbled to have the opportunity to bring our teams, our technology, and our companies together and I look forward to helping us make our combined Aurora the place where we can all do the best work of our lives, and truly transform the way people and goods move through the world. It will not be easy, and it isn’t a quick mission, but it is one worth pursuing. Thank you for being with me on this journey, and thank you for your help, support and advice as we build our company together!

I recognize many of you may have questions about this acquisition. We will have a dedicated All Hands tomorrow where we can further share the opportunity we have with ATG, as well as answer your questions.

Chris