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Travis Kalanick, Uber’s former CEO who stepped down in 2017 amid scandals, has unveiled his next venture after eight years of stealth operations. His company City Storage Systems, which previously focused on ghost kitchens through CloudKitchens and reached a $15 billion valuation by 2022, has rebranded as “Atoms” and expanded into industrial robotics for mining and transportation sectors alongside its existing food delivery operations.

The Los Angeles-based company now operates three divisions creating what Kalanick calls “gainfully employed robots” for productive automation tasks. This represents a significant pivot from gig economy labor models that defined Uber toward replacing human workers with robotics across multiple industries. Kalanick’s move comes as automation increasingly threatens working-class jobs globally, particularly in developing economies where mining and transportation provide crucial employment. The timing coincides with growing concerns about job displacement in regions dependent on these industries, though mainstream coverage has largely focused on the technical and business aspects rather than potential workforce impacts.

Sources:

• Uber ex-CEO Kalanick rebrands latest venture Atoms, expands into mining and transport
• Ex-Uber CEO Kalanick Unveils Atoms, Building Robots for Food, Transportation - Bloomberg
• Travis Kalanick launches a new company called Atoms focused on robotics | TechCrunch
• Uber co-founder Kalanick launches Atoms in specialized robotics push | Reuters

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