Citing Bloomberg, Aurora CEO and co-founder Chris Urmson “inadvertently sent” a memo to employees outlining plans for a sale and potential cost-cutting measures that initially only included for company boards. In the memo, Urmson also suggested steps such as taking the company private, spinning off or selling certain company assets and seeking small financing to expand the company’s reach, according to Bloomberg.
An Aurora spokesperson confirmed to the Pittsburgh Business Times the veracity of the memo in the Bloomberg report, issuing the following statement: “Given current macro conditions, each company should evaluate its options and long-term strategy. … ..We believe that such thinking is a positive sign and a sign of good governance”.
Aurora’s stock price has fallen sharply since its public debut last fall, a time when many U.S. tech companies have suffered. The stock peaked at $17.77 a share shortly after going public and fell to $1.83 a share earlier this summer. It traded at $2.43 a share in after-hours trading Friday, giving it a market value of $2.8 billion.
Citing Bloomberg, Urmson wrote in the memo: “Given our current share price, we should be an attractive target for any entity looking to have a self-driving future. Potential buyers includeapple、MicrosoftOr first-tier companies.”