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Travis Kalanick's Atoms Secures $1.7 Billion to Drive Robotics Vision

Travis Kalanick raises $1.7 billion for his robotics company Atoms, reuniting with Uber and expanding heavy industry automation.

AI2Day Newsdesk· 2 min read
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Key points

  • Atoms, Travis Kalanick's robotics company, raised $1.7 billion in October 2023.
  • The funding round was led by Andreessen Horowitz, with Ben Horowitz joining the board.
  • Uber, Kalanick's former company, also participated in the funding.
  • Atoms aims to automate heavy industry, integrating software with manufacturing and transportation.

Travis Kalanick is back in the tech spotlight with his latest venture, Atoms, a robotics company that has just bagged a hefty $1.7 billion in funding. This significant financial boost was led by Andreessen Horowitz, a prominent venture capital firm. Ben Horowitz, one of the firm's co-founders, will now take a seat on Atoms' board, signaling strong confidence in the company's future.

Joining the funding round were Bain Capital, Fifth Wall, and, notably, Uber. This marks a full-circle moment for Kalanick, reconnecting him with the ride-sharing giant he co-founded but left in 2017 amid allegations of a toxic workplace. First reported by TechCrunch AI, this investment suggests Uber's interest in Kalanick's new direction.

Atoms is a reimagined venture that builds on Kalanick's previous project, Cloud Kitchens, which focused on ghost kitchens. Earlier this year, Kalanick acquired Pronto, a company specializing in automation for heavy industries, from Anthony Levandowski, a fellow former Uber executive.

Kalanick has shared his ambition to create what he calls a

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