Travis Kalanick, the co-founder and former CEO of Uber, has secured a significant $1.7 billion (£1.3 billion) in funding for his robotics venture, Atoms. The investment round was spearheaded by Andreessen Horowitz, with prominent venture capitalist Ben Horowitz set to join the company's board. This substantial capital injection signals strong investor confidence in Kalanick's vision for industrial AI and robotics.
Adding a notable layer to the funding announcement, Uber, the ride-hailing giant Kalanick founded and was later ousted from in 2017, also participated in the round. This investment sees a rekindling of ties between Kalanick and his former company, nearly a decade after his departure following controversies surrounding workplace culture. Other key investors included Bain Capital and Fifth Wall.
Atoms is positioned as a rebranded holding company, evolving from Kalanick's post-Uber project, Cloud Kitchens. In March 2026, Kalanick revealed the new name and simultaneously announced the acquisition of Pronto, an industrial automation company led by his former Uber colleague, Anthony Levandowski. Kalanick has outlined ambitious plans for Atoms, including expanding beyond Pronto's existing vehicle automation for heavy industry into areas like mining, with the ultimate goal of building a "wheelbase for robots" and creating "atoms-based computers" where manufacturing serves as the CPU and real estate as storage.
In a post on X, Ben Horowitz lauded Kalanick's entrepreneurial spirit, stating, "Travis is Back," and highlighting his unique ability to disrupt traditional, heavy industries. Horowitz articulated that Atoms' core mission is to significantly boost productivity in the physical world, drawing parallels to Uber's impact on transportation and computers' transformation of the digital realm. While specific details on how the funding will be deployed remain under wraps, Kalanick's statements suggest a considerable portion will be allocated to hiring talent to tackle the complexities of this new industrial age.
The move represents Kalanick's continued pursuit of digitising the physical world, a journey he claims began with Uber. His vision for Atoms involves using software to understand, predict, and control physical environments, aiming to revolutionise sectors resistant to change. This substantial investment underscores the growing interest in applying advanced AI and robotics to traditional industries, promising a shift towards greater automation and efficiency.