TechCrunch Mobility: Uber bets on its former CEO

Uber joined a $1.7 billion funding round for Travis Kalanick's Atoms, alongside Andreessen Horowitz and other investors.

Atoms is a holding company focused on robotics and mobility projects, giving Kalanick fresh capital to expand into the sector.

The investment is notable because it suggests a thaw in the relationship between Uber and its former CEO after a contentious split.

It also comes against the backdrop of Uber's history of legal and strategic battles over self-driving technology, including the Waymo dispute.