An Austin-based construction robotics company founded by former Space Exploration Technologies Corp. engineers is moving its headquarters to Buda as stakeholders aim to one day take their technology to Mars.
But for now, the startup is proving its tech by turning dirt on Earth for developers and gearing up for a hiring spree.
TerraFirma Inc. plans to move this month into a 40,000-square-foot headquarters that will also be a research-and-design and testing facility. It will be in the Tower Business Park at 1340 Farm to Market Road 2001, according to an April 12 announcement from the Buda Economic Development Corp. The company appears to have previously been working out of a property in Southwest Austin at what it has called Robot Ranch.
TerraFirma last month was approved by the Buda City Council for $350,000 in incentives – codenamed in economic development discussions as Project Hard Hat – that provide $100,000 in funds to help with the tenant finish out and $312,500 in grants based on creating 25 jobs. The company currently has about 20 employees, and it plans to add another 25 by the end of this year. Headcount is projected to reach into the multiple hundreds of employees within the next few years, officials said.
“Buda is the ideal location for our headquarters. The region’s strong workforce, proximity to major metropolitan markets, and growing tech and AI community create the right environment for us to scale both our technology and our mission," CEO and co-founder Noah Schochet said in a statement.
The startup was founded in 2023 by Schochet and Noah McGuinness, both former engineers at Los Angeles-based SpaceX, which has big presences both near Austin in Bastrop and in Cameron County. TerraFirma, which has an undisclosed amount of backing from Bain Capital Ventures LLC, boasts of combining software, robotics and advanced operational processes to do things like excavation, site work and demolition in a faster, safer and cheaper way. It has the long-term goal of using its technology in construction on Mars.
It lists three past projects in its portfolio online: the excavation of a site for a Starbucks in North Austin, site preparation for a nonprofit's new building and a house demolition. Officials said the new location will allow them to bring all their operations under one roof and have ample space to support their demand and new contracts. It will also have an outdoor testing space for the company's robotic and artificial intelligence-driven construction equipment, while providing a controlled environment to shepherd and refine technology.
“Our team is deeply grateful to the Buda EDC for helping us secure the right home to accelerate our technology development. We are focused on building tools that remove bottlenecks in construction and ultimately make the industry faster, safer, and more cost-effective," McGuinness said in a statement.
It marks another high-tech project headed to Buda, which is about 15 miles south of Austin and has a population of around 16,000. The city in recent years has become a target for large manufacturing projects, including aerial robotics startup Infravision Inc., defense technology startup Perseus Defense Inc., electric vehicle supplier Futronic USA Inc., food distributor US Foods Holding Corp., food industry supplier ATX Packaging and precision parts maker Method MFG LLC.
Buda Mayor Lee Urbanovsky said in a statement that TerraFirma "reinforces Buda's position as an emerging hub for technology and innovation."
“This project brings hundreds of high-tech, in-demand jobs to our community and directly supports our strategic plan. It is exactly the type of innovation-focused, high-wage employer we aim to recruit to Buda, strengthening our reputation as a location for advanced industrial and robotics-focused businesses and helping attract complementary employers and investment over time," he said.
The 164,000-square-foot Tower Business Park was recently completed by Austin-based developers Tiger Capital and Balcones Real Estate. Dax Benkendorfer with Balcones and Adam Green with Lee & Associates handle leasing.