Uber ex-CEO Kalanick rebrands latest venture Atoms, expands into mining and transport

Travis Kalanick, the former CEO and co-founder of Uber, has rebranded his latest endeavor as Atoms and announced a significant expansion into the mining and transportation sectors. After resigning from Uber in 2017, Kalanick took the helm at City Storage Systems, which oversees the ghost-kitchen network CloudKitchens. Under his leadership, CloudKitchens achieved a remarkable valuation of $15 billion by 2022. In a recent interview on the TBPN podcast, Kalanick revealed that Atoms has been quietly operating for eight years, boasting a workforce of thousands. He articulated his vision on the new Atoms website, where he emphasized the company's commitment to advancing technology in various industries. "Today we expand our physical world computation portfolio to the Mining and Transport industries and rename the company Atoms," he stated. Kalanick elaborated on Atoms' innovative technology, explaining, "At Atoms we make gainfully employed robots – specialized robots with productive jobs that bring abundance to their owners and society at large." According to reports from The Information, Kalanick is also in the process of launching a new robotics and self-driving vehicle company, supported by Uber. Reflecting on his journey post-Uber, Kalanick shared, "Up until today, I was running a company called City Storage Systems, which was basically about the future of food." His aim was to enhance the efficiency of prepared food delivery compared to traditional grocery shopping. Atoms is set to focus on three key areas: Atoms Food, which aims to improve food infrastructure; Atoms Mining, designed to create more efficient mining operations; and Atoms Transport, offering a 'Wheelbase for robots.' Meanwhile, the CloudKitchens platform continues to be operational, providing commercial kitchen spaces for a variety of food businesses. Kalanick expressed the emotional toll of his departure from Uber, stating, "I bled, but I did not perish. I got back up and fought my way back into the arena, back to my calling. Back to building."