Travis Kalanick’s Atoms might be getting into the robotaxi business
In Brief Posted: 9:45 AM PDT · September 6, 2026 Image Credits:Zak Bennett/Bloomberg / Getty Images Anthony Ha Travis Kalanick’s Atoms might be getting into the robotaxi business Earlier this summer, Travis Kalanick’s Atoms announced a $1.7 billion funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz. But even…
In Brief Posted: 9:45 AM PDT · September 6, 2026 Image Credits:Zak Bennett/Bloomberg / Getty Images Anthony Ha Travis Kalanick’s Atoms might be getting into the robotaxi business Earlier this summer, Travis Kalanick’s Atoms announced a $1.7 billion funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz. But even after raising that mega round, the Uber founder remained a bit cagey about what he was actually aiming to do. Now a story in the Financial Times offers more details about Atoms’ goals. The startup is reportedly preparing for a hiring spree, as well as acquisitions, that could make it a major player in the autonomous vehicle industry. In fact, the FT said Atoms has talked to Uber about how the ride-hailing company could use the startup’s robotaxi technology. (Uber has already partnered with a long list of autonomous vehicle companies.) The report also noted that Uber has invested $100 million in Atoms — a figure previously confirmed by TechCrunch. While sources emphasized that robotaxis don’t represent the entirety of Atoms’ plans, this direction seems consistent with Kalanick’s description of the round as “unfinished business.” It also fits with Atoms’ acquisition of Pronto, an autonomous mining startup led by Uber’s former self-driving chief Anthony Levandowski. (Levandowski was convicted of stealing trade secrets and sentenced to 18 months in prison, but was then pardoned by President Donald Trump.) Topics AI, atoms, Startups, Transportation, Travis Kalanick, Uber October 13 – 15 San Francisco Don’t miss out. The startup community will gather to answer a pivotal question: How do you build sustainably in the AI era? REGISTER NOW Newsletters See More Subscribe for the industry’s biggest tech news Related AI Authors push back as publishers and agents make claims on Anthropic settlement Anthony Ha 8 hours ago Transportation TechCrunch Mobility: Tesla Cybercab hits the road — and a snag Kirsten Korosec 13 hours ago Hardware Let’s take a look at the retro tech making a comeback Lauren Forristal 13 hours ago Latest in Transportation In Brief Travis Kalanick’s Atoms might be getting into the robotaxi business Anthony Ha 12 hours ago Transportation TechCrunch Mobility: Tesla Cybercab hits the road — and a snag Kirsten Korosec 13 hours ago Transportation No little kids allowed, and other new info about Tesla’s Cybercab Sean O'Kane 3 days agoSource: TechCrunch — Published — Category: Business