Travis Kalanick Raises $1.7B for Atoms, With Uber Investing Too
Travis Kalanick, the former Uber founder who was pushed out in 2017, has raised $1.7 billion for his industrial-AI and robotics company, Atoms. Andreessen Horowitz led the round, with Ben Horowitz joining the board, and notably, Uber itself invested. Kalanick refers to this as "unfinished business."
July 23, 2026 – 5:33 pm
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Kalanick’s return to the spotlight is marked by Uber’s financial support for his new venture. He has raised funds for Atoms, an industrial-AI and robotics firm he developed in secrecy over several years. Andreessen Horowitz led the round, with Ben Horowitz joining the board of directors, and Uber—the company Kalanick founded in 2009—is among the investors.
This investment is particularly notable given Kalanick’s controversial exit from Uber in 2017, following allegations of sexual harassment, discrimination, and a toxic work environment. Nine years later, his former company is contributing significantly to his new project.
"Unfinished Business"
The funding includes substantial debt from financial institutions such as JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and Barclays, alongside venture capital firms like a16z (Andreessen Horowitz), Bain Capital, Fifth Wall, etc. While the company did not disclose its valuation, it indicates a significant amount of capital to develop heavy machinery rather than apps.
From Bits to Atoms
Kalanick’s vision centers around transforming the physical world into something software can control. He aims to create an "atoms-based computer" by automating various industrial sectors, including mining, construction, transportation, and food service. This shift, he calls it the "Age of Atoms."
A Different Approach to Industrial AI
Kalanick diverges from mainstream robotics research, which often focuses on humanoid robots. Instead, Atoms develops specialized machines for specific tasks. Ben Horowitz argues that these custom-built devices excel in harsh industrial settings compared to general-purpose humanoids. This bet challenges the current trend in physical AI.
Atoms’ Structure
According to reports, Atoms is divided into three parts:
- Atoms Food: Integrates CloudKitchens and its cooking and delivery software.
- Atoms Mining: Utilizes autonomous machines for extraction sites through the acquisition of Pronto, a startup co-founded by former Uber and Google engineer Anthony Levandowski.
- Atoms Transport: Offers a "wheelbase for robots."
The involvement of Levandowski adds intrigue due to his past in self-driving technology and a trade secrets case involving Google and Uber, for which he received a presidential pardon. Additionally, Kalanick previously explored acquiring Pony AI’s US operations with Uber’s assistance but those talks ended this year.