Atoms, parent company of CloudKitchens, raises $1.7B for automation expansion
Atoms, the newly formed parent company of delivery-only kitchen operator CloudKitchens, has raised $1.7 billion in equity funding led by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), with additional support from Uber and other investors. CEO Travis Kalanick announced that the capital will be used to integrate Atoms' businesses—CloudKitchens ghost kitchens, Lab37 food robots, and Pronto autonomous mining vehicles—and advance his vision of digitizing physical industries through software, robotics, AI, and automation. A key part of this strategy is Bowl Builder, an automated meal assembly line currently being tested in CloudKitchens locations. The system aims to reduce staffing needs while improving speed and consistency for restaurants. Atoms' long-term goal includes combining delivery-only kitchens with self-driving vehicles to make food delivery as affordable as grocery shopping. The company's ambitions mirror those of Wonder, another startup aiming to disrupt the restaurant industry through automation and AI. Both face significant challenges in transforming a highly competitive sector.
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