Tester announces $1.5 million grant for Bozeman’s Bridger Photonics

Senator helped advanced technology company grow, create jobs

(U.S. Senate) – Senator Jon Tester today announced that Bridger Photonics earned a nearly $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy.

Bridger Photonics, based in Bozeman, will use the funds to develop a light-detection and ranging (LiDAR) system that can make precise measurements of methane leaks. Bridger is a world leader in precision LiDAR and advanced imaging. It was ranked as the fastest growing engineering company by Inc. magazine in 2011.

“Montana is developing its own technology corridor, and it starts with high-tech companies like Bridger Photonics,” Tester said. “I’ve been working with Bridger for years to help them grow and create jobs, because they stay on the cutting edge. The folks at Bridger earned this grant with their hard work, and I’ll keep fighting for them and other Montana businesses looking to expand.”

The grant comes from one of two programs led by the Energy Department’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy. The program supports new technologies to reduce methane leaks.

As a member of the Appropriations subcommittee that funds the Energy Department, Tester has met with officials from Bridger Photonics since 2008 and supported their efforts to grow and earn grant support.

The official project title is ‘Mobile LiDAR Sensors for Methane Leak Detection.’ More information can be found online HERE.