2021 OC 50: Building Technology Hubs

In terms of employment, OC’s chipmaking, software and defense industry was long dominated by the three Big B’s: Broadcom, Blizzard Entertainment, and Boeing. Times change, and now there’s new firms—some worth tens of billions of dollars, others aiming to soon become that big—looking to set themselves up as beacons for their respective business sectors for years to come. Here are three to watch.

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RJ SCARINGE
Founder, CEO    
Rivian
Irvine
Age: 38

Preferred vehicles:
electric-powered

BIO: Electric-vehicle builder, with nearly $8B in funding since 2009, most of it in past two years. Backers include Ford, T. Rowe Price, Cox Automotive and Amazon, the latter of which has plans for some 100,000 of its electric-powered delivery trucks over coming years. First releases for the public, a pickup truck and SUV, expected to start selling later this year. The vehicles have starting prices of $67,500 and $70,000, respectively.

NOTABLE: Hiring hundreds locally as it ramps ups its operations. Has inked some of area’s largest leases as it expands its presence here, including new HQ in Irvine. The company is reportedly looking to go public as soon as September. Said to be aiming for a valuation of at least $50B. That would make Rivian OC’s second-most valuable public company.

QUOTABLE: First Amazon delivery vans have begun hitting the road. “The vehicle we’ve developed with Amazon is not just electric. We prioritized safety and functionality to create a vehicle that’s optimized for package delivery,” he said. “We thought through how drivers get in and out of the van, what the workspace feels like and what the workflow is for delivering packages.”

PALMER LUCKEY
Founder
Anduril Industries
Irvine
Age: 28

Preferred vehicles: helicopters,
a submarine, drones

BIO: Founded high-tech defense and border surveillance company 2017, now valued at almost $2B; previously founded Oculus VR headset developer, sold it to Facebook in 2014 for about $3B. Anduril has contracts with U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.K. Ministry of Defense, as well as other agencies; plans growing to 315 employees by year’s end.

NOTABLE: Huge expansion in works for new HQ in Costa Mesa; 640,000-square-foot lease will make Anduril OC’s second-largest office tenant. Largest office deal here in years.

QUOTABLE: “I love OC,” he told Business Journal in February. “Anduril is leading the charge to turn this county into the defense technology hub of America.”

LIAM GRIFFIN
Chairman, CEO, President
Skyworks Solutions Inc.
Irvine
Age: 54
Nasdaq: SWKS

Preferred vehicles: ones using his firm’s semiconductors

BIO: Runs chipmaker, Orange County’s third-most valuable public company with valuation approaching $30B. Introducing an array of components to support the shift to 5G, the next phase in global wireless telecommunications. Firm moved HQ designation from Massachusetts to Irvine last year; Griffin already worked from base at UCI Research Park. Added chairman title in May, succeeding David Aldrich.

NOTABLE: Predicting a record year as it seeks more revenue beyond its mainstay customer, Apple. Says company is pursuing “revenue diversification” along with its emphasis on super-speed 5G communications. In a key move in that direction, Skyworks said in April it would buy infrastructure and automotive chip unit of Silicon Laboratories for nearly $2.8B. The company said the acquisition is a nearly $20B market opportunity that will accelerate its expansion into the semiconductor industry’s most important growth segments.

QUOTABLE: Silicon Labs deal “will broadly expand our capabilities across high-growth end markets including automotive, communications, and industrial, creating new and highly compelling opportunities for Skyworks.”