Travis Kalanick Raises $1.7B for Robotics Startup Atoms, With Uber Backing
The former Uber CEO's venture secures massive equity round from a16z plus separate debt facilities as he pivots from CloudKitchens to industrial automation.
Travis Kalanick is back with $1.7 billion. The Uber co-founder's robotics company, Atoms, closed an equity round led by Andreessen Horowitz, with Ben Horowitz joining the board and Uber participating in the investment.
From CloudKitchens to Physical AI
Atoms evolved from Kalanick's CloudKitchens venture, the ghost kitchen operation he built after departing Uber in 2017. The company rebranded as a holding company focused on what Kalanick calls "physical AI" and industrial automation.
The $1.7 billion figure refers to equity financing only. Atoms also secured separate debt facilities from Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and Barclays.
The Uber Reconnection
Uber's participation marks a professional reconnection between Kalanick and the company he founded, suggesting reconciliation after his contentious 2017 exit.
Building a "Wheelbase for Robots"
Kalanick framed the raise as completing a longer arc. "Fuel to complete the bits-to-atoms story arc we started at Uber, continued at CloudKitchens and will now finish at Atoms," he said. His goal: building a "wheelbase for robots" platform for industrial automation.
Atoms already moved on acquisitions. The company acquired Pronto, a heavy industry automation company founded by former Uber colleague Anthony Levandowski. The deal was completed and announced in April 2026, with Levandowski remaining with the company.
Investor Confidence
Ben Horowitz signaled strong backing for Kalanick's pivot into heavy industry. "Travis Is Back... It takes a rare kind of entrepreneur to change these old-school, heavy parts of our economy," Horowitz said.
The round also included Bain Capital and Fifth Wall, a real estate technology venture firm.
The Bigger Picture
The capital injection places Atoms among the largest deals in the 2026 physical AI boom. Investors are betting Kalanick can apply his disruptive playbook to sectors like mining and transportation, digitizing industries that have resisted technological change.
With $1.7 billion in equity, additional debt capacity, and backing from both a16z and Uber, Kalanick has the resources to try.