Travis Kalanick’s Atoms might be getting into the robotaxi business

In Brief

9:45 AM PDT · September 6, 2026

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...

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