Uber founder Travis Kalanick is revisiting the robotaxi business

Travis Kalanick is returning to one of the ambitions that defined his time at Uber: autonomous vehicles.

Kalanick's new company, Atoms, is expanding into autonomous vehicle technology and has reportedly discussed potential collaboration with Uber.

Reporting on the discussions describes Atoms as preparing to hire aggressively and make acquisitions as it develops what Kalanick describes as industrial AI.

Robotaxis are part of that strategy, although Atoms is not positioning itself simply as another ride-hailing network.

Instead, the company could develop autonomous driving technology that other businesses use.

Uber is an especially notable potential partner.

The ride-hailing company invested $100 million in Atoms as part of a $1.7 billion funding round announced earlier in 2026. The round was led by Andreessen Horowitz.

The connection brings Kalanick back into business with the company he co-founded and left in 2017.

Autonomous vehicles were one of Uber's most expensive and controversial bets during his tenure.

Atoms has also acquired Pronto, an autonomous technology company led by former Uber self-driving executive Anthony Levandowski. Pronto has focused on autonomous systems for industrial applications such as mining.

Kalanick has described the new effort as unfinished business.

The phrase is particularly fitting because Uber itself is once again investing heavily in autonomous transportation, but through partnerships rather than developing every system internally.

The company already works with multiple autonomous vehicle providers around the world.

Atoms could eventually become another supplier inside that ecosystem.

For Kalanick, the interesting part may not be rebuilding Uber.

It may be returning to the technology Uber once tried to build itself, this time from the other side of the partnership.