Kalanick's self-driving startup Atoms reportedly preparing robotaxi push
Atoms, backed by Travis Kalanick and Andreessen Horowitz, is reportedly planning to enter the robotaxi business with major hiring and acquisitions, according to the Financial Times.
According to the FT, Atoms has been in talks with Uber over how the ride-hailing company could employ the startup’s robotaxi technology. Uber, which has already partnered with a long list of autonomous vehicle developers, has invested $100 million in Atoms, a figure previously confirmed by TechCrunch.
Atoms announced in early summer it had raised $1.7 billion in a funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz. At the time, Kalanick, Uber’s founder, described the financing as “unfinished business” but remained vague about the company’s exact product plans.
The FT’s sources stressed that robotaxis do not represent the entirety of Atoms’ plans, but the direction matches Kalanick’s earlier hints. The company has also acquired Pronto, an autonomous mining startup led by Anthony Levandowski, Uber’s former self-driving chief. Levandowski was convicted of stealing trade secrets and sentenced to 18 months in prison, before being pardoned by then-President Donald Trump.