Source: Penny Thomas, Washington Department of Commerce, April 23
OLYMPIA, WA – The Washington State Department of Commerce today confirmed that Cruise, an autonomous vehicle (AV) company, plans to open an office in Bellevue, adding to a growing list of nearly two dozen AV technology firms in Washington state.
A $200,000 grant from the governor’s economic development strategic reserve fund helped support the recruitment, which is expected to add up to 200 engineering jobs.
“Washington offers an unmatched trove of engineering talent, AI and machine learning, cloud computing, and other key R&D assets that innovative enterprises like Cruise need to keep pushing the boundaries in their industries. We welcome Cruise and look forward to working with their team in Bellevue.” said Gov. Jay Inslee, who signed a 2017 Executive Order on safe testing and operation of AVs.
Dan Kan is chief operating officer and cofounder of Cruise, which is based in San Francisco and uses a fleet of all-electric vehicles for testing.
“Cruise is proud and grateful to receive support from the governor’s strategic reserve fund,” Kan said. “These funds will help Cruise create quality jobs for the enormous talent that the Bellevue area has to offer, continue to grow our roots in the region and the state of Washington, as well as strengthen our partnership with Greater Seattle Partners.”