Travis Kalanick's robotics venture, Atoms, has closed a $1.7 billion funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz, marking a major step in its push into physical-world automation. Ben Horowitz will join the company's board as part of the investment.
The round also included participation from Bain Capital, Fifth Wall, and Uber, adding notable momentum to the company's next phase. Atoms is the latest evolution of Kalanick's post-Uber efforts, building on work that began with CloudKitchens and expanded through the acquisition of Pronto, an industrial automation company.
Kalanick has described his long-term vision as creating a "wheelbase for robots," a platform designed to bring software-like precision to manufacturing, logistics, and other heavy industries. In his remarks, he framed the project as part of a broader effort to digitize the physical world and connect computing with real-world operations.
With fresh capital and high-profile backers, Atoms is positioned to accelerate its robotics ambitions and deepen its role in the automation landscape. The development could help shape a future where intelligent machines play a larger role in how industries move, build, and scale.
