Travis Kalanick has renewed his criticism of venture capitalists, claiming only 1% are genuinely helpful. The statement comes after securing $1.7 billion for his robotics company Atoms.
The former Uber CEO's remarks reflect a pattern of public skepticism toward the VC industry that has backed many of his ventures. Kalanick's latest funding round for Atoms, which focuses on autonomous mobile robots, appears substantial enough to fuel his candid assessment of venture capital's role in his entrepreneurial journey.
Kalanick's criticism addresses a long-standing tension between founders and investors. His assertion that only a small fraction of VCs provide meaningful value beyond capital suggests frustration with advisory relationships and board-level involvement that may prioritize financial returns over operational guidance.
Atoms joins Kalanick's portfolio of post-Uber ventures, including CloudKitchens, a ghost kitchen platform. His willingness to publicly critique the VC ecosystem while simultaneously raising significant capital underscores a broader debate within tech entrepreneurship about investor quality and value-add versus pure funding availability.
A new startup is addressing a critical market inefficiency: despite hundreds of billions in annual AI spending, there's no standardized way to price compute or hedge against cost fluctuations.
Also, the autonomous driving startup spun out from Rivian, secured $150 million in Series D funding led by Prysm Capital. The round follows a $200 million funding announcement in March 2026.
Also, a Rivian spinout, has secured $150 million in Series B funding led by Prysm Capital. The capital will accelerate the company's expansion from electric bikes into autonomous delivery vehicles.
Sachin Bansal's fintech startup Navi has secured $100 million in funding from Prosus, marking the company's first outside capital injection. The investment arrives as Navi prepares for a public listing.