Uber Co-Founder Travis Kalanick Launches Industrial Robotics Venture Atoms After Eight Years in Stealth

Quick Facts

• Kalanick’s Atoms emerges from eight-year stealth mode with thousands of employees across mining, transport, and food robotics divisions
• The company includes CloudKitchens ghost kitchen business, previously valued at $15 billion in 2022
• Atoms plans to acquire Pronto, an autonomous mining vehicle startup led by former Uber executive Anthony Levandowski

Travis Kalanick launched Atoms on March 13, marking his return to the spotlight with an industrial robotics venture that targets mining, transport, and food sectors. The Uber co-founder announced the company after operating in stealth mode for eight years with thousands of employees.

Atoms expands and renames Kalanick’s City Storage Systems, which includes the CloudKitchens ghost kitchen business. CloudKitchens reached a $15 billion valuation in 2022 and employs 3,300 people. The company raised $400 million from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund in 2019 and $850 million in 2021 from investors including Microsoft.

The company operates three divisions: Atoms Food, Atoms Mining, and Atoms Transport. The food division features a 19-foot kitchen robot called Bowl Builder that automates up to 40 percent of manual work in order preparation. Eric Meyhofer, former head of Uber’s self-driving unit, leads the food robotics division Lab37 in Pittsburgh.

Kalanick revealed plans to acquire Pronto, an autonomous vehicle startup focused on mining operations. He described himself as Pronto’s largest investor and said the deal could close within days. Pronto develops Level 4 autonomous driving systems for haul trucks used in mining operations.

The Information reported that Kalanick received backing from Uber for his new venture. Sources indicated Kalanick wants to deploy self-driving technology more aggressively than Waymo.

Kalanick positions Atoms as focused on specialized industrial robots rather than humanoid machines. He calls these “gainfully employed robots” designed for high-cycle industrial environments. The strategy targets proven markets where autonomous systems already deliver measurable results.

The global mining robotics market projects growth from $1.7 billion in 2026 to $3.3 billion by 2033, driven by automation demands and labor shortages. Major miners already operate hundreds of autonomous haul trucks from Caterpillar and Komatsu, reporting productivity gains and improved safety records.

Kalanick was forced to resign as Uber CEO in 2017 and left the board in 2019. He joined City Storage Systems as CEO in 2018 and described entering the venture “heartbroken” after his Uber departure.

Read more: Uber co-founder Travis Kalanick launches robotics venture Atoms