Aurora Labs pivots to AI monitoring and lays off 60% of workforce
Aurora Labs pivots to AI monitoring and lays off 60% of workforce
The Israeli autotech company shifts focus to high-performance computing in vehicles and data centers.
Aurora Labs, an Israeli autotech company, has laid off roughly 45 employees, accounting for 60% of its 75-person workforce. The decision is part of a strategic pivot as the company shifts its focus to high-performance computing (HPC) monitoring in vehicles and data centers.
Established in 2016 by CEO Zohar Fox and COO Uri Lederman, Aurora Labs initially specialized in providing software tools for automakers. These tools allowed for the collection of vehicle software data and enabled over-the-air (OTA) remote software updates. Over the years, the company has raised close to $100 million, including $63 million in 2022. Key investors include Moore Strategic Ventures, Porsche SE, Colmobil Group, Marius Nacht, LG, Toyota Tsusho, MizMaa, FM Capital, and Maniv Mobility.
Despite the promise of OTA updates, the automotive industry's adoption has lagged behind expectations, with many traditional car manufacturers continuing to rely on in-garage software updates. In light of this, Aurora Labs has redirected its efforts toward developing LOCI, an AI-driven platform for real-time observability of HPC components in vehicles and data centers. LOCI is designed to monitor, analyze, and detect software-level issues in processors in real time.
In a company statement, Aurora Labs said: "As part of this strategic shift, Aurora Labs will reallocate resources to support the design, development, and marketing of LOCI. This will involve recruiting talent and experts in artificial intelligence and machine learning. However, this change requires the difficult decision to part with expert employees who have been involved in developing our traditional OTA product, which has experienced longer-than-expected sales cycles and slower-than-planned growth compared to LOCI.
“Aurora Labs will provide professional guidance and support to the affected employees as they seek new opportunities. The company is approaching this transition from a strong financial position, with cash reserves in the tens of millions of dollars."
