Travis Kalanick, co-founder and former CEO of Uber, has launched a new robotics startup called Atoms. The company was built from the infrastructure business he started after leaving Uber through City Storage Systems, which also operates the ghost-kitchen network CloudKitchens. Atoms will focus on developing specialized robots for industries like food services, mining, and transportation. The venture has reportedly been developed quietly for several years and will focus on task-specific robots designed to perform industrial work more efficiently.
The robotics company is built around the idea that specialized machines designed for specific industrial tasks can reach commercial viability faster than general-purpose humanoid robots. Kalanick has stressed that Atoms intends to build what he describes as ‘gainfully employed robots’ – machines designed to perform clearly defined work within controlled environments. And by focusing on limited tasks like logistics handling, food preparation, or industrial transport, the company believes it can deploy robots sooner and at lower cost than attempting to build robots capable of performing a broad range of human activities.
Atoms will operate through multiple divisions aimed at automating different sectors of the physical economy. One major unit focuses on food automation, where robotics could transform high-volume kitchens and delivery facilities. Another division targets mining and heavy industry, sectors that are increasingly turning to automation due to safety concerns and labour shortages. A third area of focus is transportation and logistics robotics, where Atoms aims to create platforms that can support multiple robotic applications.
Although the company has only recently been publicly introduced, the venture has reportedly been in development for about eight years. During this period, Kalanick and his team built the operational infrastructure and technical capabilities needed to support large-scale robotics development. Thousands of employees have reportedly worked across the broader organization, building facilities, logistics networks, and automation technologies that now feed into the Atoms platform.
Financially, Atoms benefits from the substantial funding raised during the growth of CloudKitchens and City Storage Systems. The company is also exploring strategic acquisitions to accelerate its development in automation technologies. Among the potential moves is the acquisition of Pronto, a startup that develops self-driving systems designed specifically for industrial vehicles used in mining and construction environments. The timing of Atoms’ launch coincides with growing global interest in robotics as the next frontier of technological innovation. Industries worldwide are facing labour shortages, rising operational costs, and increasing demand for efficiency, creating strong incentives to adopt automation technologies.
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