Travis Kalanick launches a new company called Atoms focused on robotics

Travis Kalanick, the founder of Uber, has launched a new robotics company called Atoms, which aims to operate across the food, mining, and transportation sectors. Atoms will incorporate Kalanick’s existing ghost kitchen business, CloudKitchens, and plans to develop a “wheelbase for robots” that can be adapted for specialized, industrial-scale robots rather than humanoid forms. While specifics on how Atoms will address mining and transportation remain unclear, reports indicate Kalanick is pursuing aggressive expansion in self-driving vehicle technology, with backing from Uber, and is considering acquiring Pronto, an autonomous vehicle startup focused on industrial and mining applications. Kalanick’s return to autonomous vehicle development marks a notable shift since his 2017 resignation from Uber amid company controversies and legal battles involving self-driving technology. Previously, Kalanick had established Uber’s self-driving division and recruited Anthony Levandowski, a key figure in the project who was later convicted for stealing trade secrets from Google’s Way