Uber Backs Kalanick’s New Venture Amid Tesla Operations and Logistics Shifts
Former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick has secured a massive $1.7 billion funding round for his new holding company, Atoms, bolstered by a surprising investment from Uber itself. Meanwhile, Tesla faces logistical scrutiny as quarterly data reveals a decline in paid robotaxi miles.
Kalanick Rebuilds with Uber Support
Travis Kalanick, the co-founder and former CEO of Uber, has reclaimed a prominent position in the mobility and robotics sector. His rebranded holding company, Atoms, recently secured $1.7 billion in capital. The funding round was led by Andreessen Horowitz with participation from Bain Capital and Fifth Wall. Notably, Uber itself contributed $100 million to the round approximately six months ago, marking a significant development given Kalanick’s contentious departure from the ride-hailing giant nearly a decade ago.
The Atoms portfolio includes Pronto, an industrial automation startup founded by Anthony Levandowski. Internal communications indicate that Atoms intends to apply the fresh capital toward industrial AI and physical automation within the mining and transport sectors. This alliance is striking because of the shared history between the parties; Uber’s 2016 acquisition of Levandowski’s startup, Otto, previously triggered a high-profile trade secret theft lawsuit from Waymo.
Analyzing Tesla’s Robotaxi Performance
Tesla’s latest shareholder disclosures have raised questions regarding the scaling of its autonomous efforts. While the company presented a chart suggesting growth in paid robotaxi trips between late 2025 and 2026, a granular analysis of the data reveals a different trajectory. In the first quarter, Tesla’s Model Y robotaxi fleet covered roughly 1.1 million paid miles. This figure dropped to approximately 700,000 miles in the second quarter, representing a 36% decline in activity.
Elon Musk further clarified that Tesla must accumulate specific driving data for its new Cybercab using retrofitted vehicles equipped with manual controls. This calibration process contrasts with years of assertions that data from the existing 10-million-car consumer fleet would be sufficient to train future autonomous platforms. On the financial side, Tesla’s net income fell 5% year-over-year as capital expenditures doubled to support next-generation product development.
Logistics and Supply Chain Developments
Several significant deals and technical milestones emerged across the broader transportation sector this week:
- Aurora: The autonomous trucking firm unveiled its second-generation driverless vehicles. These trucks features scaled-down hardware, improved sensor cleaning, and extended-range lidar. Aurora plans to deploy 200 of these trucks by year-end on routes between Dallas and Houston for clients including Uber Freight and McLane.
- Sila: The battery material specialist raised $300 million to expand its Washington state facility. The plant aims to produce enough anode material to support the manufacturing of over 100,000 electric vehicles.
- Einride: The Swedish electric trucking company executed an all-stock acquisition of EV charging startup Flipturn for $38 million.
- IBM: The tech giant moved to acquire HRL Laboratories, a quantum computing facility previously owned by General Motors and Boeing.
In a shift regarding cabin technology, Ford announced it will integrate Apple Maps navigation and mapping more deeply into its upcoming electric vehicle lineup, utilizing a new suite of developer tools from Apple.
Source: Tech Crunch
