Aurora Innovation, Inc. (AUR) FY 2025 MD&A
This page reproduces the company's own Item 7 MD&A text from the linked SEC filing. It is filer text, not grepcent analysis, scoring, or investment advice.
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The following discussion and analysis of the financial condition and results of operations should be read together with the consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report. This discussion contains forward-looking statements based upon current expectations that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of several factors, including those set forth in "Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors" and under the heading “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” included elsewhere in this Annual Report.
Unless otherwise indicated or the context otherwise requires, references to “Aurora,” “we,” “us,” “our” and other similar terms in this section refer to Aurora Innovation, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries. Percentage amounts have not in all cases been calculated on the basis of rounded figures, but on the basis of such amounts prior to rounding. For this reason, percentage amounts may vary from those obtained by performing the same calculations using the figures in our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report. Certain other amounts that appear in this Annual Report may not sum due to rounding.
Aurora’s Business
Aurora has launched and continues to develop the Aurora Driver based on what we believe to be the most advanced and scalable suite of self-driving hardware, software, and data services in the world to fundamentally transform the global transportation market. The Aurora Driver is designed as a platform to adapt and interoperate amongst vehicle types and applications. To date, it has been successfully integrated into numerous different vehicle platforms: from passenger vehicles to light commercial vehicles to Class 8 trucks. By creating one driver system for multiple vehicle types and use cases, Aurora’s capabilities in one market reinforce and strengthen its competitive advantages in others. For example, highway driving capabilities developed for trucking will carry over to highway segments driven by passenger vehicles in ride-hailing applications. We believe this approach will enable us to target and transform the transportation landscape, including trucking, passenger mobility, and local goods delivery market.
We expect that the Aurora Driver will ultimately be commercialized in a Driver as a Service (“DaaS”) business model, in which customers or third parties will purchase, manage, and maintain fleets directly, while subscribing to the Aurora Driver and a suite of related services. We do not intend to own nor operate a large number of vehicles ourselves. Throughout commercialization, we expect to earn revenue on a fee per mile basis, or a comparable pricing mechanism. We intend to partner with OEMs, Tier 1 automotive suppliers, fleet operators, and other third parties to commercialize and support Aurora Driver-powered vehicles. We expect that these strategic partners will support activities such as vehicle and hardware manufacturing, financing and leasing, service and maintenance, parts replacement, facility ownership and operation, and other commercial and operational services as needed. We expect this DaaS model to enable an asset-light and high margin revenue stream for Aurora, while allowing us to scale more rapidly through partnerships. During the start of commercialization, though, we are operating our own logistics and mobility services, where we own or lease and operate a fleet of vehicles equipped with our Aurora Driver and provide transportation services to customers through driverless operations as well as with vehicle operators as needed. This level of control is useful during early commercialization as we define operational processes and playbooks for our partners.
We launched Aurora Driver for Freight, our driverless trucking subscription service first, as we believe that is where we can make the largest impact the fastest, given the massive industry demand, attractive unit economics, and the ability to deploy on high volume highway-focused routes. We plan to leverage the extensibility of the Aurora Driver to deploy and scale into the passenger mobility market with Aurora Driver for Rides, our driverless ride hailing subscription service, and in the longer-term the local goods delivery market.
Significant Events and Transactions
Launch of Aurora Driver for Freight
In April 2025, we launched Aurora Driver for Freight and began driverless operations of trucks hauling customer loads. We commenced recognizing revenue during the three months ended June 30, 2025. Supplementing our strategic partnerships, in 2025 we began a truck program to support our commercialization strategy by providing customers with greater driverless capacity. Under this program, trucks, including a fleet based on International® LT® Series vehicles, will be upfitted by or on behalf of Aurora and used for driverless operations.
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At-The-Market Offering
On February 14, 2025, we entered into a sales agreement with Cantor Fitzgerald & Co., TD Securities (USA) LLC, and Allen & Company LLC, as sales agents (the “Sales Agents”), pursuant to which we may, from time to time, sell up to an aggregate amount of $500 million of the Company’s Class A common stock through the Sales Agents in an “at-the-market” offering (the “ATM Program”). On July 30, 2025, the Company increased the aggregate dollar amount of the Company’s Class A common stock that it may sell under the ATM Program to $1,421 million. During the twelve months ended December 31, 2025, we offered and sold approximately 151 million shares of Class A common stock through the ATM Program at an average price of $5.96 per share, raising $898 million in equity capital and receiving net proceeds of $874 million after transaction costs.
Global Economic Conditions
Unfavorable conditions in the economy in the United States and abroad may negatively affect the growth of our business and our results of operations. For example, macroeconomic events, including rising inflation, tensions in U.S.-China relations, high interest rates, recent and potential future disruptions in access to bank deposits and lending commitments due to bank failures, wars, conflicts and political tensions in certain regions have led to economic uncertainty and volatility globally. In addition, changes in trade policy, including existing and potential tariffs and other trade restrictions on vehicles, electronics and other components used in our hardware and the vehicles on which it is deployed, could increase our costs, disrupt our supply chain, or reduce demand for our technology and services. The effect of macroeconomic conditions may not be fully reflected in our results of operations until future periods. Moreover, negative macroeconomic conditions could adversely impact our ability to obtain financing in the future on terms acceptable to us, or at all. In addition, geopolitical instability and related sanctions could continue to have significant ramifications on global financial markets, including volatility in the United States. Our operating results could be materially impacted by these changes and other changes in the overall macroeconomic environment and other economic factors.
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Comparison of the Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2025 to the Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2024
| Twelve Months Ended December 31, | $ Change | % Change | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in millions, except for percentages) | 2025 | 2024 | |||||||||||||
| Revenue | $ | 3 | $ | — | $ | 3 | n/m(1) | ||||||||
| Cost of revenue | 17 | — | 17 | n/m(1) | |||||||||||
| Research and development | 745 | 676 | 69 | 10 | % | ||||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative | 142 | 110 | 32 | 29 | % | ||||||||||
| Loss from operations | (901) | (786) | (115) | 15 | % | ||||||||||
| Other income (expense): | |||||||||||||||
| Change in fair value of derivative liabilities | 29 | (24) | 53 | (221) | % | ||||||||||
| Other income, net | 56 | 62 | (6) | (10) | % | ||||||||||
| Loss before income taxes | (816) | (748) | (68) | 9 | % | ||||||||||
| Income tax expense | — | — | — | n/m(1) | |||||||||||
| Net loss | $ | (816) | $ | (748) | $ | (68) | 9 | % |
(1) Not meaningful.
Revenue was $3 million in the twelve months ended December 31, 2025 due to the commercial launch of Aurora Driver for Freight in April 2025.
Cost of revenue was $17 million in the twelve months ended December 31, 2025 due to the commercial launch of Aurora Driver for Freight in April 2025. Non-cash stock based compensation in cost of revenue was not significant.
Research and development expenses increased by $69 million, or 10%, to $745 million in the twelve months ended December 31, 2025 from $676 million in the twelve months ended December 31, 2024, primarily driven by increases in non-cash stock-based compensation, hardware costs for development fleets, and personnel costs, partially offset by expenses recognized as cost of revenue due to commercial launch in April 2025 and personnel costs previously recognized in research and development now included in selling, general and administrative due to a realignment of resources. Research and development expenses included non-cash stock-based compensation of $153 million and $122 million in the twelve months ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively.
Selling, general and administrative expenses increased by $32 million, or 29%, to $142 million in the twelve months ended December 31, 2025 from $110 million in the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 primarily driven by increases in personnel costs, non-cash stock based compensation, and personnel costs previously recognized in research and development now included in selling, general and administrative due to a realignment of resources. Selling, general and administrative expenses included non-cash stock-based compensation of $35 million and $22 million in the twelve months ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively.
The change in fair value of derivative liabilities resulted in income of $29 million and expense of $24 million in the twelve months ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively, primarily due to the change in the market price for the underlying instrument.
Other income, net decreased by $6 million, or 10%, to $56 million in the twelve months ended December 31, 2025, from $62 million in the twelve months ended December 31, 2024, primarily due to a decrease in interest income earned on cash equivalents and investments as a result of lower market rates.
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Comparison of the Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2024 to the Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2023
| Twelve Months Ended December 31, | $ Change | % Change | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in millions, except for percentages) | 2024 | 2023 | |||||||||||||
| Operating expenses: | |||||||||||||||
| Research and development | $ | 676 | $ | 716 | $ | (40) | (6) | % | |||||||
| Selling, general and administrative | 110 | 119 | (9) | (8) | % | ||||||||||
| Total operating expenses | 786 | 835 | (49) | (6) | % | ||||||||||
| Loss from operations | (786) | (835) | 49 | (6) | % | ||||||||||
| Other income (expense): | |||||||||||||||
| Change in fair value of derivative liabilities | (24) | (20) | (4) | 20 | % | ||||||||||
| Other income, net | 62 | 59 | 3 | 5 | % | ||||||||||
| Loss before income taxes | (748) | (796) | 48 | (6) | % | ||||||||||
| Income tax expense | — | — | — | n/m(1) | |||||||||||
| Net loss | $ | (748) | $ | (796) | $ | 48 | (6) | % |
(1) Not meaningful.
Operating expenses
Research and development expenses decreased by $40 million, or 6%, to $676 million in the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 from $716 million in the twelve months ended December 31, 2023, primarily driven by decreases in non-cash stock-based compensation, hardware costs for development fleets, and personnel costs. Research and development expenses included non-cash stock-based compensation of $122 million and $139 million in the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Selling, general and administrative expenses decreased by $9 million, or 8%, to $110 million in the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 from $119 million in the twelve months ended December 31, 2023, primarily driven by decreases in insurance costs and other general and administrative costs. Selling, general and administrative expenses included non-cash stock-based compensation of $22 million and $21 million in the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Other income (expense)
The change in fair value of derivative liabilities resulted in expense of $24 million and $20 million in the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, primarily due to the change in the market price for the underlying instrument.
Other income, net increased by $3 million, or 5%, to $62 million in the twelve months ended December 31, 2024, from $59 million in the twelve months ended December 31, 2023, primarily due to an increase in interest income earned on cash equivalents and investments.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
As of December 31, 2025, our principal sources of liquidity were $221 million of cash and cash equivalents, $1,055 million of short-term investments, and $183 million of long-term investments, exclusive of restricted cash of $14 million. Cash and cash equivalents primarily consist of money market funds. Investments consist of primarily U.S. Treasury securities as well as corporate bonds and commercial paper.
We have incurred negative cash flows from operating activities and significant losses from operations in the past. We have only recently started to generate revenue and we expect to continue to incur operating losses requiring us to opportunistically raise additional capital to support continued development and commercialization. We believe our cash on hand and short-term investments will be sufficient to meet our working capital and capital expenditure requirements for a period of at least twelve months from the date of this Annual Report.
During the three months ended December 31, 2025, we offered and sold approximately 4 million shares of Class A common stock through the ATM Program at an average price of $4.42 per share, raising $15 million in equity capital and receiving net proceeds of $15 million after transaction costs.
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During the twelve months ended December 31, 2025, we offered and sold approximately 151 million shares of Class A common stock through the ATM Program at an average price of $5.96 per share, raising $898 million in equity capital and receiving net proceeds of $874 million after transaction costs.
Cash Flows
Cash flows for the periods were as follows (in millions):
| Twelve Months Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | |||||||||
| Net cash used in operating activities | $ | (581) | $ | (611) | $ | (598) | |||||
| Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities | (245) | (172) | 8 | ||||||||
| Net cash provided by financing activities | 834 | 492 | 831 | ||||||||
| Net (decrease) increase | 8 | (291) | 241 | ||||||||
| Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at beginning of the period | 227 | 518 | 277 | ||||||||
| Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at end of the period | $ | 235 | $ | 227 | $ | 518 |
Cash Flows Used in Operating Activities
Net cash used in operating activities decreased by $30 million in the twelve months ended December 31, 2025 from $611 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 primarily due to the annual bonus being settled in equity in the current year partially offset by increased compensation and benefits.
Net cash used in operating activities increased by $13 million in the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 from $598 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023 primarily due to advanced payments for hardware materials for fleet builds partially offset by decreases in other operating expenditures.
Cash Flows (Used in) Provided by Investing Activities
Net cash used in investing activities increased by $73 million in the twelve months ended December 31, 2025 from $172 million of net cash used in the twelve months ended December 31, 2024, primarily due to increased purchases of investments net of maturities.
Net cash used in investing activities increased by $180 million in the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 from $8 million of net cash provided in the twelve months ended December 31, 2023, primarily due to the net purchases of short-term investments compared to net maturities in the comparative period.
Cash used for purchases of property and equipment were $31 million, $34 million and $15 million in the twelve months ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Cash Flows Provided by Financing Activities
Net cash provided by financing activities increased by $342 million in the twelve months ended December 31, 2025 from $492 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 due to higher net proceeds received from equity fundraising and increased proceeds from the exercise of stock options partially offset by increased tax payments in connection with the net settlement of RSUs.
Net cash provided by financing activities decreased by $339 million in the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 from $831 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023 due to lower net proceeds received from equity fundraising.
Contractual Obligations, Commitments and Contingencies
Aurora may be party to various claims within the normal course of business. Legal fees and other costs associated with such actions are expensed as incurred. We assess the need to record a liability for litigation and other loss contingencies, with reserve estimates recorded if we determine that a loss related to the matter is both probable and reasonably estimable. No material losses were recorded in the twelve months ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023.
The Company has non-cancelable future minimum payments as of December 31, 2025 of: $79 million for 2026 and $13 million for 2027. Commitments under operating lease contracts are detailed within Note 8 – Leases to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report.
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Critical Accounting Estimates
Our consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, or U.S. GAAP. Preparation of the financial statements requires our management to make judgments, estimates and assumptions that impact the reported amount of revenue and operating and other expenses, assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. We consider an accounting judgment, estimate or assumption to be critical when (1) the estimate or assumption is complex in nature or requires a high degree of judgment and (2) the use of different judgments, estimates and assumptions could have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements. Our significant accounting policies are described in Note 2 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report.
Acquisition Related Intangible Assets
Acquired intangible assets primarily consist of developed technology from the Company’s historical acquisitions. These assets were in-process research and development (“IPR&D”) until the assets were placed into service during the three months ended June 30, 2025. Acquired intangible assets are reviewed for impairment considerations whenever events or circumstances indicate that the carrying amounts may not be recoverable. If indicators of impairment exist, the Company calculates the value of the assets with significant estimates and assumptions utilized in the valuation of certain intangible assets include, but are not limited to, estimated replacement cost, profit margin, opportunity cost, useful lives, and discount rates. Estimates of fair value are based upon assumptions believed to be reasonable, but which are inherently uncertain and unpredictable and, as a result, actual results may differ from estimates.
Valuation of Derivative Liabilities
The Company accounts for shares held by Reinvent Sponsor Y LLC (the “Sponsor”) not forfeited under the terms of the Merger Agreement and subject to price based vesting terms (the “Earnout Shares”) as derivative liabilities. The liability is measured at fair value on a recurring basis utilizing a Monte Carlo simulation analysis with any changes in fair value reflected in the statement of operations until the vesting conditions are met or the shares expire.
The Monte Carlo simulation analysis is dependent upon management estimates and assumptions, primarily related to expected volatility and risk-free interest rates. The expected volatility is determined based on our historical volatility as well as the historical equity volatility of comparable companies over a period that matches the expected term of the instrument. The risk-free interest rate is based on relevant U.S. treasury rates for a period that matches the expected term of the instrument.
Recently Adopted and Issued Accounting Pronouncements
See Note 2 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies to the consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report for recently adopted accounting pronouncements.