Jaguar Land Rover’s technology hub in Portland is expanding.
The carmaker first opened its Portland-based “Open Software Technology Center” in July 2014 and later unveiled a startup incubator in the city this past January. On Thursday, it announced a new 20,000 square-foot “vehicle center” that will launch in late 2016 and employ 30 developers and engineers.
Jaguar Land Rover, which currently employs 80 people at its Portland tech offices, also this week added three new companies to its incubator: AVE, Lyfeboat, and Validated, a Seattle-based startup that recently graduated from Techstars Seattle and lets brick-and-mortar businesses cover parking and transportation costs for customers. The startups will receive investment, development support, mentorship, and office space as part of the six-month program.
Jaguar Land Rover, which plans to work with 120 startups over the next decade at the incubator, also announced that company veteran Rupert Poole will head up the carmaker’s tech operations in Portland.
“With the rapid growth and evolution of future technology, it’s an incredibly exciting time to be leading Jaguar Land Rover’s Technology Center and Incubator program in Portland,” Poole said in a statement. “The latest start-ups to join our Tech Incubator, AVE, Validated and Lyfeboat share our spirit of innovation and we’re excited to work with them to explore ways of enhancing the driver experience for our customers.”