Earlier this summer Atoms closed a $1.7 billion funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz. The company is preparing a hiring spree and a string of acquisitions to scale its engineering and operational capabilities. Those steps, if executed, would shift Atoms from a well-funded startup into a direct competitor among autonomous vehicle suppliers.
Atoms has held talks with Uber about how the ride-hailing company could deploy the startup’s robotaxi systems. Uber has also taken an equity stake in Atoms, investing $100 million. The combination of potential commercial demand from a large fleet operator and fresh capital gives Atoms a clearer path to field trials and production partnerships.
Robotaxi development is not the whole agenda. Company sources emphasized that robotaxis do not represent the entirety of Atoms’ plans. Travis Kalanick framed the funding as “unfinished business,” language that signals a deliberate attempt to return to mobility problems he once pursued at scale.
The startup has already expanded through acquisition. Atoms bought Pronto, an autonomous mining company led by Anthony Levandowski. Levandowski was convicted of stealing trade secrets and sentenced to 18 months in prison, and he was later pardoned by President Donald Trump. That deal brings experienced, if controversial, autonomy talent into Atoms’ fold.
Uber’s existing network of partnerships with autonomous vehicle firms means any agreement to integrate Atoms’ stack could accelerate deployment, while also raising competitive stakes for other suppliers. Next steps for Atoms include hiring to build software and hardware teams and closing further acquisitions to assemble the components needed for commercial robotaxi operations.
