Uber Co-Founder Eyes Return to Ride-Hailing With Atoms Startup

Uber’s co-founder is reportedly considering returning to the ride-hailing space with his new venture Atoms. That’s according to a report Sunday (Sept. 6) by the Financial Times (FT), which said Travis Kalanick is looking to develop robotaxi technology by reuniting with veterans of Uber’s autonomous vehicles team in a bid to achieve a decade-old goal.

Thanks to a recent $1.7 billion funding round, Atoms is about to embark on a hiring spree to bring on autonomous engineering talent, sources familiar with Kalanick’s plans told FT. Atoms, which Kalanick has described as a “physical AI” company, has also held early talks with Uber about using its technology for robotaxis on its ride-hailing network, these sources said. They added that Uber has invested $100 million in Atoms.

A tie-up would be Kalanick’s first involvement in ride-hailing at Uber since he left its board in 2019, the report said. He was forced out as CEO in 2017 after an independent investigation into Uber’s handling of sexual harassment complaints criticized the company and recommended Kalanick step back.

“A lot of the things that would have happened with Uber over time are things we’re doing now,” Kalanick said this month at an event hosted by venture firm Andreessen Horowitz in San Francisco, per FT. The report said it interviewed several current and former Atoms and Uber employees about Kalanick’s return to the ride-hailing space after nearly a decade on the sidelines.

Uber declined to comment for FT, while Atoms said it is “an industrial software company focused [on] industrial applications.” “We have no plans to enter the saturated robotaxi market. Uber is a partner of Atoms and can use our technology for its ridesharing business if it is helpful,” the company added.

Sources added that Kalanick has tapped Waymo co-founder/former Uber self-driving chief Anthony Levandowski to oversee Atoms’ autonomous vehicle work. In announcing the $1.7 billion funding round in July, Kalanick said that “industrial AI,” which covers software, sensors, robotics and AI used to automate operations, would power the next Industrial Revolution. “Mining, construction, heavy transport, food production are just a few examples of atoms-heavy industries awaiting massive digital transformation,” he said. “Multiple trillion-dollar industries rapidly transforming over the next decade powering an engine of prosperity unparalleled in human history.”