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Why Bridger

About Bridger Photonics

Bridger Team

Our Story

Bridger Photonics was born from the minds of grad student colleagues, where early innovations in laser technology laid the foundation for the company’s future. After early commercial and government contract work, the team built a proprietary LiDAR engine for highly precise distance measurements and 3D imaging. Seeking new applications, they discovered its potential to detect and measure gas. With support from the U.S. Department of Energy’s ARPA-E program, Bridger developed a methane emission detection system that has since evolved into the industry leading Gas Mapping LiDAR™® (GML) data product. 

 

GML dramatically simplifies the detection, localization, and quantification of methane emissions across the entire natural gas value chain. Today, GML data combined with Bridger’s advanced emissions analytics leads the industry in emissions monitoring, helping oil and gas operators cut costs, reduce risk, and meet regulatory and ESG demands.

Growth and Innovation

As Bridger expanded and set a new industry standard for methane detection, so did the scale of the company’s impact.

In the years that followed the initial development of GML, Bridger entered a period of rapid growth. Energy producers across North America adopted the technology at scale, validating its accuracy and reliability in the field. Bridger’s work gained recognition from regulators and international frameworks, even helping shape methane monitoring standards. At the same time, Bridger scaled its capacity, expanded its team, and built additional data solutions needed to meet rising demand. 

Today, Bridger operates on multiple continents, and is trusted by top operators across the oil and gas sector, including Chevron, Repsol, Cheniere, Phillips 66, and many more.

Our Values

At Bridger, culture is as important as technology. The company is fundamentally grounded in the following core values

Mountain Summit

Above all else, we value technical excellence, integrity, and honesty.

Collaborate Idea

We believe teamwork, creativity, and a strong work ethic critically enable our success.

Inclusion Love

We deeply value one another, our families, our community, and a sense of balance in life.

These values don’t hang on a wall. They show up in how Bridger treats their clients, supports their employees, and how they deliver results that can be trusted.

Why Bozeman?

Bridger is proud to call Bozeman, Montana home. Nestled in the Rocky Mountains, Bozeman is more than a beautiful place to live; it’s a hub of innovation. 

With Montana State University just down the road, a deep bench of laser and photonics expertise has flourished here, making Bozeman a global center for advanced optics.

This unique mix of world-class science and mountain-town grit gives Bridger its edge. The team gets to ski powder in the morning and solve pressing challenges in the afternoon. We believe that balance makes us stronger.

TheCrazyMountains_Bozeman_GettyImages-492816037_Web72DPI

Major Milestones

Here are just some of the moments that define Bridger’s journey
Jan 01, 2006

The Founding Three grad school friends join together to found Bridger Photonics in Bozeman, Montana

Jan 01, 2011

Inc. Magazine Bridger is ranked as Inc. Magazine fastest-growing privately held U.S. company in the engineering sector

Jan 01, 2015

DOE Grant Bridger was awarded a grant by the U.S. DOE’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E)

Jan 01, 2019

Commercial Launch Bridger’s Gas Mapping LiDAR launched commercially

Jan 01, 2020

Expansion The company expands, scanning every basin across North America

Jan 01, 2025

Going Global Bridger launches its first emissions detection programs outside of the U.S.—in Australia and South America

Jan 01, 2025

Leadership Ben Little steps into role as CEO amid significant growth and global partnerships; Dr. Peter Roos transitions to role as Chief Innovation Officer

Dec 31, 2025

Going Forward Bridger Photonics continues to expand its impact globally, finding new ways to help oil and gas operators across the globe detect and reduce methane emissions

Leadership Team

Ben Little Headshot

Ben Little

Chief Executive Officer

Joel

Joel Baller

Chief Revenue Officer

Pete Roos (1)

Dr. Peter Roos

Chief Innovation Officer, Co-founder

Nate

Nate Gorence

Chief Business Officer

Ryan Sullivan

Ryan Sullivan

Chief Technology Officer

Mike thorpe

Mike Thorpe

Chief Scientist

Talk to an Expert

Let’s find out how GML can support your methane management goals.