Kalanick's Atoms raises $1.7 billion led by a16z

Kalanick's exit from Uber in 2017 followed scandals ranging from allegations of sexism to programs with code names like "Greyball" and "Hell," and a memo from former engineer Susan Fowler that prompted an independent investigation led by former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. Uber's board replaced him with Dara Khosrowshahi, and Kalanick later sold the rest of his shares six months after the company's May 2019 IPO for a pretax haul of roughly $4 billion.

The years since were not idle. He bought real estate for food delivery hubs, developed AI and robotics, and acquired a mining venture run by his former top lieutenant at Uber, Anthony Levandowski. Those efforts became Atoms, and its $1.7 billion raise led by a16z gives the venture the kind of backing that can make his "second industrial revolution" framing more than a podcast line.

What changed around him may matter as much as what he built. Founder-friendly podcasts, an ethos known as "founder mode," and a broader political shift have made his refusal to apologize an asset rather than a liability. His return therefore hinges on whether Atoms can move past food preparation and delivery at scale, and on whether the young founders who currently revere him keep doing so once the operation faces the same scrutiny that ended his Uber tenure.