Atoms (https://atoms.co), a New York-based physical automation company, has raised $1.7 billion in funding led by Andreessen Horowitz. The company designs, builds, and operates specialized industrial robotics and automation systems for food infrastructure, autonomous mining, and transport logistics. The capital will support expansion across its three verticals and the integration of operating businesses into a single equity structure.
Kalanick's Industrial AI Pivot
The timing aligns with renewed investor interest in physical AI. Atoms rebranded from City Storage Systems in March 2026 and acquired Pronto AI shortly after. The round marks an eight-year build that began while Kalanick was still at Uber.
Labor Shortages in Heavy Industry
Mining, construction, heavy transport, and food production have seen little technological transformation in a generation. Atoms targets these sectors with purpose-built machines rather than general-purpose humanoids, arguing that specialized systems deliver immediate productivity gains in high-cycle environments.
Specialized Machines Over Humanoids
Atoms rejects the humanoid trend. Founder Travis Kalanick wrote that every humanoid demo starts with a dance show, noting that wheeled systems would perform better for industrial tasks. The company instead deploys "progress machines" that combine software, sensors, robotics, and AI to automate entire operations.
As Ben Horowitz noted:
"I think the most valuable thing someone could do with AI and robotics is to repeat the same thing Uber did for transportation, or that computers did for the digital world: to make everything and everyone more productive."
a16z Leads Record Check
Andreessen Horowitz led the round, with Ben Horowitz joining the board. Uber participated, reconnecting Kalanick with his former company. Additional equity partners include Bain Capital Ventures, Fifth Wall, and others. Debt facilities were arranged with JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and Barclays. The round coincided with the merger of Atoms' operating businesses into one equity structure.
From Food to Mining to Transport
Atoms began with food infrastructure through CloudKitchens, Otter, Lab37, Picnic, and ProFood. It has since expanded into mining via the Pronto acquisition and is preparing a transport-focused robotics announcement. The platform treats physical operations as programmable systems, aiming to decouple production and movement from human labor.
Leadership and Vision
Travis Kalanick founded Atoms after his departure from Uber. He has described the company as the completion of a "bits-to-atoms" arc that began at Uber and continued through CloudKitchens. Anthony Levandowski, who leads the Pronto acquisition, brings deep expertise in off-road autonomy.