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Kalanick's Robotics Return Amid AV Shakeup
15 Mar
Summary
- Travis Kalanick launches robotics company, Atoms.
- Rivian R2 SUV pricing starts at $57,990 for launch edition.
- Lucid Motors clarifies robotaxi is a concept, not in active development.
Uber co-founder Travis Kalanick is re-entering the tech world with Atoms, a new robotics company. This move is accompanied by his significant investment in Pronto, an autonomous vehicle startup founded by former Uber colleague Anthony Levandowski, evoking the intense AV activity of 2016.
Rivian used its headline sponsorship at SXSW to announce pricing for its R2 SUV. The performance launch edition will start at $57,990, with a more affordable $45,000 version expected by late 2027. The company is employing experiential marketing to target its core demographic at the Austin festival.
The R2 introduces a new operating system with enhanced edge computing capabilities, utilizing a single System on Chip (SoC) for infotainment and processing 200 TOPS. This contrasts with the next-gen R1 vehicles that use multiple SoCs and rely on cloud computing for most tasks.
Lucid Motors has clarified that its recently shown robotaxi is a concept, with no active development underway. The company initially presented the vehicle as part of its future EV platform strategy. This follows a week where the EV sector saw significant investment and strategic shifts.
In other news, Mind Robotics, a startup focused on industrial robotics, raised $500 million in a Series A funding round, bringing its valuation to approximately $2 billion. The company's CEO believes industrial robotics should prioritize hand functionality over complex biomechanics. Additionally, global ride-hailing company inDrive acquired Pakistan-based Krave Mart, and Mirai Robotics secured $4.2 million in funding.
