Ex-SpaceX engineers' construction tech company to move headquarters from Austin to Buda

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Another technology company is moving out of Austin.

Construction technology company TerraFirma, which was founded by former SpaceX engineers, will relocate its headquarters from Austin to Buda starting this month, according to an announcement from the Buda Economic Development Corporation.

The company will move into a 40,000-square-foot "integrated HQ, R&D, and testing facility" at Tower Business Park in Buda, the announcement said. The Austin Business Journal reported that the company had previously been working out of a property in Southwest Austin that it called Robot Ranch.

According to ABJ's reporting, Buda City Council approved $350,000 in incentives for TerraFirma last month, which includes $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 around 20 employees and plans to add another 25 by the end of the year, per ABJ.

The Buda Economic Development Corporation said in its announcement that the new headquarters will include a dedicated outdoor testing space for the company's robotic and AI-driven construction equipment, "providing a controlled environment to advance and refine its technology."

The corporation also said in the announcement that TerraFirma's combination of software, robotics, and field operations will help teams complete more work in less time, something that will help ease pressure caused by the construction industry's labor shortages, rising costs, and growing demand for new infrastructure. The corp said the result would be "faster project delivery, more supply entering the market, and the creation of new, high-quality roles across engineering, operations, and skilled equipment management."

"This project brings hundreds of high-tech, in-demand jobs to our community and directly supports our strategic plan," Buda Mayor Lee Urbanovsky said in the announcement. "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. This move reinforces Buda's position as an emerging hub for technology and innovation."

Noah Schochet, CEO and Co-founder of TerraFirma, shared the following statement:

"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." Noah McGuinness, CTO and Co-founder, continued, "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."