CloudKitchens

Operator of delivery-focused commercial kitchens and related restaurant software.

Ghost kitchensFood deliveryReal estateRestaurant softwareRobotics

Active^{Source [6]}^{Source [3]}Last verified Oct 2, 2026

About CloudKitchens

CloudKitchens builds and leases delivery-first commercial kitchens, letting restaurant brands prepare food for delivery and pickup without a full storefront. It converts underused or distressed real estate into shared facilities with private kitchen units and bundled services such as refrigeration and maintenance.^{Source [6]}^{Source [1]}^{Source [2]}

It was founded in Los Angeles in 2016 and became part of City Storage Systems (CSS), whose businesses at the time were CloudKitchens and CloudRetail. Travis Kalanick took a controlling interest in CSS for $150 million and became its CEO in March 2018.^{Source [1]}^{Source [2]}^{Source [4]}^{Source [7]}

Its group also runs Otter, restaurant software for order management and point of sale; Lab37, a food robotics unit; Picnic, an office lunch delivery service; and ProFood, food production real estate. Contrary Research reported in March 2025 that CloudKitchens had over 400 locations across about 110 cities in 30 countries.^{Source [6]}^{Source [1]}

In March 2026 Kalanick rolled CloudKitchens into Atoms, a robotics holding company that TechCrunch describes as built atop CloudKitchens, and in July 2026 Atoms raised $1.7 billion in a round led by Andreessen Horowitz. The Atoms website lists CloudKitchens as one of its companies.^{Source [5]}^{Source [3]}^{Source [6]}

Watch

CloudKitchens Success Story: Furlough Brothers by CloudKitchens on YouTube

What happened

Founded in Los Angeles in 2016, CloudKitchens became a business of City Storage Systems, where Travis Kalanick became CEO in March 2018 after a $150 million investment that gave him a controlling interest. In March 2026 Kalanick announced Atoms, a robotics company into which CloudKitchens was folded; TechCrunch describes Atoms as a rebranded holding company built on CloudKitchens. The Atoms website lists CloudKitchens as one of its businesses.^{Source [1]}^{Source [2]}^{Source [4]}^{Source [7]}^{Source [5]}^{Source [3]}^{Source [6]}

Timeline

2026-07Parent company Atoms raised $1.7 billion led by Andreessen Horowitz.^{Source [3]}
2026-03Rolled into Atoms, Travis Kalanick's new robotics company.^{Source [5]}
2023City Storage Systems unveiled Lab37, a food automation and robotics unit.^{Source [1]}
2021-11Raised $850 million in debt and equity at a reported $15 billion valuation.^{Source [1]}^{Source [2]}
2020Introduced Otter restaurant software.^{Source [1]}
2018-03Travis Kalanick took control of City Storage Systems and became CEO.^{Source [4]}^{Source [7]}
2017Raised a Series A led by Craft Ventures and Social Capital.^{Source [1]}
2016Founded in Los Angeles; opened its first 27-kitchen facility.^{Source [1]}^{Source [2]}

Products and brands

CloudKitchens: Delivery-first kitchen facilities leased to restaurant brands.^{Source [6]}^{Source [1]}
Otter: Restaurant operating system combining orders, delivery apps and kitchen operations.^{Source [6]}^{Source [1]}
Lab37: Automated kitchen systems for food preparation.^{Source [6]}^{Source [1]}
Picnic: Office lunch service delivering meals from restaurants to teams.^{Source [6]}
ProFood: Real estate, facilities and production environments for food brands.^{Source [6]}
Future Foods: Virtual restaurant brands licensed to operators for a revenue share.^{Source [1]}^{Source [2]}

How it makes money: CloudKitchens earns rent from restaurant operators leasing its kitchen units, with services such as cold storage, utilities and property management bundled in, and earns subscription fees from Otter software and revenue shares from its Future Foods virtual brands.^{Source [1]}

Leadership

Travis Kalanick

CEO (City Storage Systems, now Atoms)^{Source [7]}^{Source [4]}^{Source [5]}

Since 2018

Funding and financials

Valuation: $15 billion (November 2021 round, as reported by Contrary Research)^{Source [1]}^{Source [2]}

Date	Round	Amount	Investors
2026-07	Atoms funding round (parent)^{Source [3]}	$1.7 billion	Led by Andreessen Horowitz; Bain Capital, Fifth Wall and Uber participated
2021-11	Debt and equity^{Source [1]}^{Source [2]}	$850 million	Investors included Microsoft
2018-03	Controlling investment^{Source [4]}	$150 million	Travis Kalanick's fund
2017	Series A^{Source [1]}		Led by Craft Ventures and Social Capital

People on Founded, and where they went next

1 person on record, connected to 3 other companies.

Person	Here	Also built
Travis Kalanick	CEO (City Storage Systems, now Atoms)2018 to now	Uber2009 to 2019IPORed Swoosh2001 to 2007AcquiredScour1998 to 2000Bankrupt

Sources

CloudKitchens business breakdown and founding story, Contrary Research. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
CloudKitchens, Wikipedia. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
Travis Kalanick's robotics company raises $1.7B, led by a16z, TechCrunch, 2026-07-22. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
Travis Kalanick is already back running a company with a $150M investment, TechCrunch, 2018-03-20. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
Travis Kalanick launches a new company called Atoms focused on robotics, TechCrunch, 2026-03-13. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
Atoms, Atoms. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
Uber Technologies, Inc. Form S-1 Registration Statement, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (EDGAR), 2019-04-11. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.

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