Atoms

Autonomous Vehicles · Robotaxi · Industrial AI

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Kalanick's Atoms reportedly building robotaxi tech, in Uber talks

Anthony Levandowski, the engineer whose stolen-trade-secrets scandal helped push Kalanick out as Uber's CEO, now leads the autonomous-driving effort.

• The Financial Times reports Atoms is developing robotaxi technology and held early talks with Uber about deploying it on Uber's ride-hailing network.
• Atoms is Kalanick's industrial-AI venture, applying automation and robotics across mining, food production and transport rather than building one consumer product.
• Atoms acquired Pronto, an autonomous-mining startup, and put its founder Anthony Levandowski in charge of the robotaxi work — the same engineer whose Google trade-secrets case helped force Kalanick out as Uber CEO in 2017.
• Uber has invested $100 million in Atoms, part of the $1.7 billion round Atoms raised in July led by Andreessen Horowitz.
• Atoms publicly denies robotaxi ambitions, calling itself an 'industrial software company' with 'no plans to enter the saturated robotaxi market,' while saying Uber could use its tech for ride-hailing.
• The talks would mark Kalanick's first involvement in Uber's ride-hailing business since he left its board in 2019, turning the founder Uber once ousted into a potential technology supplier for the company he built.