Travis Kalanick's Atoms raises $1.7B from a16z and Uber for industrial robotics

Atoms, a robotics and industrial artificial intelligence company founded by former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick, has secured $1.7 billion in funding led by venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z). The round includes both equity and debt financing, with Uber among the participating investors. Ben Horowitz, co-founder of a16z, will join Atoms' board following the investment. Other backers include Bain Capital and Fifth Wall.

The company describes its technology as "Industrial AI"—a combination of software, sensors, robotics, and artificial intelligence designed to automate operations across atoms-heavy industries. Atoms has consolidated its operating businesses into a unified equity structure organized around three divisions: Atoms Food (food production infrastructure), Atoms Mining (mining productivity), and Atoms Transport (described as a "wheelbase for robots"). The funding will support development of physical automation systems for mining, construction, heavy transport, and food production sectors.

Kalanick's vision, outlined in public statements, frames this as digitizing the physical world after similar transformations in the digital realm. He stated that the funding represents "unfinished business"—completing a "bits-to-atoms story arc" begun at Uber, continued through CloudKitchens (his ghost kitchen venture), and now pursued at Atoms. Horowitz noted that Atoms aims to increase productivity in the physical world through specialized robots applied to large-scale industrial operations, drawing parallels to Uber's transportation network model.

Atoms has expanded capabilities through its acquisition of Pronto, an autonomous vehicle startup founded by former Uber engineer Anthony Levandowski, which developed self-driving technology for mining and industrial applications. The company has been developing its technology for approximately eight years before the public announcement in 2026. Kalanick's involvement with Atoms represents a return to venture backing from a16z, which he described as closing a loop from a 2011 opportunity to partner that did not materialize at Uber. The funding will support hiring, building additional machines, expanding deployments, and addressing complex industrial automation challenges.