“We put our headphones on, and we’d code all day,” Hopper said.
In 2013, the pair launched Aurora Solar, a software firm that speeds up design, permitting and installation for rooftop solar arrays. Today, a climate business that began in the dorms at Palo Alto has designed panels for more than 4 million solar projects, its revenue has soared tenfold, and it boasts 100 employees and expects to double that.