Earlier this summer, Travis Kalanick’s Atoms secured a substantial $1.7 billion funding round, led by Andreessen Horowitz. At the time, the Uber founder remained quiet about the startup’s exact goals. Now, details emerging from the Financial Times shed light on Atoms’ strategic direction: it is reportedly gearing up to become a major player in the autonomous vehicle industry, with plans for a significant hiring spree and targeted acquisitions.
What is Travis Kalanick’s Atoms aiming to do?
Atoms is preparing to enter the robotaxi sector. Sources familiar with the company’s plans emphasized that robotaxis do not represent the full scope of Atoms’ ambitions, but this focus aligns with Kalanick’s earlier description of the funding round as “unfinished business.” Notably, the startup has already held discussions with Uber regarding how the ride-hailing giant could potentially use Atoms’ robotaxi technology. Uber has a history of partnering with various autonomous vehicle companies and has invested $100 million in Atoms, a figure previously confirmed by TechCrunch.
Further solidifying its push into autonomous tech, Atoms previously acquired Pronto, an autonomous mining startup. Pronto was led by Anthony Levandowski, who previously served as Uber’s self-driving chief. Levandowski was convicted of stealing trade secrets and sentenced to 18 months in prison, but later received a pardon from President Donald Trump.
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