Index Audio

[Candid with Index] Aurora's CEO and co-founder, Chris Urmson on self-driving vehicles and building a company to last

Episode Summary

In the realm of modern technology, it doesn’t get more exciting than self-driving vehicles. Aurora is the only successful independent company in this business. The team has remained focused on building the Aurora Driver, partnering with existing leaders (Toyota, Uber, Volvo, Paccar, and more) for the other pieces of the puzzle. Chris shares the advantages of relying on partners to bring that technology to market, noting “we’ll actually be able to build a better product and we’ll end up actually having a better business and have a bigger impact on the world because of that.” What Aurora has been able to achieve in the self-driving space is remarkable. Index partner Mike Volpi sits down with Chris to discuss Aurora’s unique approach to self-driving, the outlook on the industry, and how the company keeps people focused when solving such a complex, long-term problem. In Chris’s words, “it's been an incredible adventure and we're only just at the beginning.”