Kalanick's robotics startup Atoms taps former Uber finance chief as CFO
Aug. 6. Atoms, the robotics startup led by Travis Kalanick, has appointed the former finance chief of Uber as its chief financial officer, adding a senior finance executive to a leadership group that Kalanick has drawn largely from his Uber years.
Key takeaways
- Atoms, the robotics startup led by Travis Kalanick, has appointed Uber's former finance chief as its chief financial officer.
- The CFO hire continues a pattern of Atoms drawing its leadership largely from Kalanick's Uber years.
- Atoms acquired an autonomy startup founded by Anthony Levandowski and Kalanick solicited investment from Uber itself.
- No financial terms were disclosed for the CFO appointment, the Levandowski acquisition, or a potential Uber investment.
- Uber's investment in Atoms has not been confirmed, and no timeline was reported for any of these transactions.
Aug. 6. Atoms, the robotics startup led by Travis Kalanick, has appointed the former finance chief of Uber as its chief financial officer, adding a senior finance executive to a leadership group that Kalanick has drawn largely from his Uber years.
Hire extends an Uber-origin pattern
The CFO appointment is the latest in a series of moves. Atoms acquired an autonomy startup founded by Anthony Levandowski, bringing in assets from that operation. Kalanick also solicited investment from Uber itself, according to reporting on the company's financing activity. The CFO hire follows the same pattern at the executive level.
No financial terms were disclosed for the CFO appointment, the Levandowski acquisition, or a potential Uber investment.
What an Uber investment would mean
Kalanick co-founded Uber before his departure from the company. Hiring Uber's former finance chief while pursuing capital from Uber would link Atoms to the ride-hailing company at two levels: through its executive roster and through its cap table.
Uber's investment in Atoms has not been confirmed. If it closes, it would make Kalanick's former employer a financial backer of his current operation. The Levandowski acquisition, the CFO hire, and the Uber overture together describe a company building from a prior institutional foundation rather than departing from it. No timeline for any of these transactions was reported.