Travis Kalanick's Atoms reportedly eyeing move into robotaxis
Following a $1.7 billion funding round, Travis Kalanick's startup Atoms is reportedly preparing to expand into autonomous vehicles and has discussed cooperation with Uber, which has already invested $100 million in the company.
A new Financial Times report sheds light on the ambitions of Atoms, the startup founded by Uber co-founder Travis Kalanick, which raised a $1.7 billion funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz earlier this summer. Until now, Kalanick had stayed vague about the company's exact direction.
According to the FT, Atoms is gearing up for a major hiring push along with a series of acquisitions that could turn it into a significant player in the autonomous vehicle sector. The report says Atoms has already held talks with Uber about how the ride-hailing giant might use the startup's robotaxi technology. Uber has previously partnered with numerous other autonomous vehicle companies.
The report also confirmed that Uber has put $100 million into Atoms, a figure TechCrunch had verified earlier.
Broader ambitions
Sources cautioned that robotaxis are only part of Atoms' overall strategy, but the direction aligns with how Kalanick described the funding round as "unfinished business." It also fits with Atoms' recent acquisition of Pronto, an autonomous mining startup led by Anthony Levandowski, Uber's former self-driving chief. Levandowski was previously convicted of stealing trade secrets and sentenced to 18 months in prison, but was later pardoned by President Donald Trump.
