Uber Co-Founder Eyes Return to Ride-Hailing With Atoms Startup

Travis Kalanick, co-founder of Uber, is reportedly considering a return to the ride-hailing industry with his new venture Atoms. According to the Financial Times, Kalanick is looking to develop robotaxi technology by reuniting with former Uber autonomous vehicles team members to fulfill a decade-old objective. A recent $1.7 billion funding round has equipped Atoms with the resources to aggressively recruit autonomous engineering talent, sources close to Kalanick’s plans revealed.

Atoms, dubbed a “physical AI” company, has already engaged in preliminary discussions with Uber regarding the potential utilization of its technology for robotaxis on the ride-hailing platform. The partnership would mark Kalanick's first involvement in the ride-hailing sphere at Uber since stepping down from the board in 2019, following a controversial departure from the CEO role in 2017 after critical scrutiny of Uber's handling of sexual harassment complaints.

Kalanick recently claimed that many of the issues that plagued Uber over the years are being addressed through the initiatives being undertaken by Atoms. The co-founder made this statement at an event hosted by venture firm Andreessen Horowitz in San Francisco. Two current and former Atoms and Uber employees were interviewed for the report.

However, both Uber and Atoms have declined to comment on the matter. Atoms describes itself as an "industrial software company focused on industrial applications," emphasizing that it has no plans to enter the already saturated robotaxi market. Uber is reportedly a partner of Atoms, and if beneficial, can employ Atoms' technology for its ridesharing business. PYMNTS has reached out to Uber for comment but has not yet received a response.