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 Atoms’ plans, this direction seems consistent with Kalanick's description of the round as "unfinished business. " It also fits with Atoms’ acquisition of Pronto , an autonomous mining startup led by Uber’s former self-driving chief Anthony Levandowski.
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