Atoms, the robotics company founded by Travis Kalanick, announced a $1.7 billion funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz. At the time, the Uber co-founder kept his true ambitions under wraps, describing the venture merely as a way to resolve his “unfinished business” in the mobility industry. A recent report by the Financial Times fills in some of those blanks, revealing that Atoms is preparing for aggressive hiring and acquisitions with the goal of becoming a major player in autonomous vehicles.
Notably, Atoms has held discussions with Uber regarding the ride-hailing company adopting Atoms’ robotaxi technology. Uber has historically partnered with an extensive roster of autonomous vehicle firms rather than developing the tech entirely in-house, and it previously invested $100 million in Atoms.
Not long ago, in March 2026, Atoms acquired Pronto, an autonomous mining startup led by Anthony Levandowski, who once directed Uber’s autonomous driving division. Levandowski was convicted of trade secret theft and sentenced to 18 months in prison before receiving a presidential pardon from Donald Trump. The acquisition suggests that Atoms is not stopping at the taxi sector, but intends to expand its autonomous vehicles into other industries in the future.
This positions a new entrant with substantial capital, an established technological foundation via Pronto, and a potential distribution channel through Uber. If this robotaxi ambition materializes, it will ramp up pressure in an autonomous vehicle market where Waymo, Tesla, and Uber’s existing partners are already fiercely competing.