Uber co-founder and former CEO Travis Kalanick officially announced the launch of Atoms, a specialized industrial robotics company.
The venture is a massive expansion and rebranding of his previous startup, City Storage Systems (the parent of CloudKitchens), marking Kalanick’s shift from “bits” (software) back to “atoms” (physical hardware and infrastructure).
The Vision: “Physical AI”
Atoms is built on the philosophy that specialized, task-specific machines are more efficient and profitable than general-purpose humanoid robots. Kalanick described the venture as a return to his “calling” of building atoms-based computers to automate real-world labor.
The Three Divisions of Atoms
The company is structured into three distinct industrial pillars:
| Division | Focus Area | Key Assets/Projects |
| Atoms Food | Kitchen Automation | Absorbs CloudKitchens and Otter software. Features the “Bowl Builder,” a 19-foot-long robot that automates 40% of manual meal prep. |
| Atoms Mining | Resource Extraction | Focuses on autonomous haul trucks and mine site productivity. Atoms is reportedly acquiring Pronto, an autonomous vehicle startup. |
| Atoms Transport | Robotic Logistics | Centers on a modular “wheelbase” platform—a standardized chassis for robots to move goods in warehouses and depots. |
Strategic Moves and Backing
- The Pronto Acquisition: To accelerate its heavy-industry capabilities, Atoms is moving to acquire Pronto, the autonomous driving startup founded by Kalanick’s former Uber colleague, Anthony Levandowski.
- Uber’s Involvement: In a surprising twist, The Information reported that Atoms is set to receive “major backing” from Uber, signaling a potential reconciliation between Kalanick and the company he was forced to leave in 2017.
- The “Manifesto”: On the company’s new website, Kalanick released a manifesto titled “I Never Left,” expressing his desire to scale “physical artificial intelligence” as the next frontier of global productivity.
The “Wheelbase” Strategy
Unlike the high-profile humanoid robots from Tesla (Optimus) or Figure, Atoms is betting on a “wheelbase” strategy. By standardizing the locomotion and power systems into a rugged base, the company allows different industries to swap on specialized “payloads”—whether it’s a refrigerated pod for food or a sensor tower for a mine.
