Travis Kalanick, the former chief executive of Uber, has launched a new robotics venture called Atoms, signalling his renewed focus on technology and automation. The startup will develop robots designed to perform specific physical tasks across industries such as mining, logistics and food services.
The announcement marks Kalanick’s latest entrepreneurial move since stepping down from Uber in 2017. Through Atoms, he aims to build advanced robotic systems that can handle labour-intensive work, improve efficiency and support industries where automation is increasingly needed.
Atoms has evolved from Kalanick’s earlier venture, City Storage Systems, which he founded after leaving Uber. The company has now been repositioned as a robotics platform, bringing together several projects under a single technology-focused brand. Kalanick’s ghost-kitchen business, CloudKitchens, is also part of the broader ecosystem linked to the new venture.
Unlike companies developing humanoid robots, Atoms will focus on task-specific machines built to carry out particular functions. The approach is intended to speed up real-world adoption, as robots designed for specific jobs can be deployed more easily in industrial settings.
The company plans to operate through multiple divisions, including Atoms Food, Atoms Mining and Atoms Transport. Each unit will focus on building robotic tools tailored to the needs of different industries. For example, robots could assist in food preparation and packaging, help manage operations in hazardous mining environments, or automate parts of the logistics and transportation process.
Kalanick believes advances in artificial intelligence and robotics are creating opportunities to automate more physical work across industries. According to him, specialised robots could significantly improve productivity while reducing the risks associated with dangerous or repetitive tasks.
The robotics project has reportedly been in development for several years before being publicly revealed. During this period, teams worked on building the technology and testing its potential applications in different sectors.
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