Uber Founder Kalanick Returns After 8 Years: Betting on Industrial AI and Digitizing the Physical World
a16z Podcast · rss · 2026-07-23
The latest a16z podcast features Uber founder Travis Kalanick reuniting with Ben Horowitz and Erik Torenberg.
- Reflecting on Uber: They discuss early lessons, the value of founder-led companies, and investments that almost happened.
- The 8-Year Stealth Project: Kalanick shares why he spent nearly eight years quietly building Atoms before stepping back into the spotlight.
- Industrial AI Focus: He believes the next great tech opportunity lies beyond software, focusing on industrial AI, robotics, and autonomy.
- Digitizing the Physical World: His vision involves combining software, manufacturing, real estate, and transportation to transform entire physical industries like mining and food production.
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