# Ex-Tesla team raises $12.5M for supply chain AI

> Atomic, founded by former Tesla engineers, has raised $12.5 million to automate supply chain decisions for companies like DoorDash and HelloFresh.
- Title: Ex-Tesla team raises $12.5M for supply chain AI · TechCrunch
- Summary: Atomic, founded by former Tesla engineers, has raised $12.5 million to automate supply chain decisions for companies like DoorDash and HelloFresh. Atomic, a…
- Keywords: atomic, supply chain, tesla, fundraising, doordash, hellofresh, klass capital, madrona venture group, technology, startups, Ex-Tesla, team
- Source: TechCrunch — https://techcrunch.com/2026/09/29/ex-tesla-team-raises-12-5m-to-put-supply-chains-on-autopilot
- Author: Sean O'Kane
- Published: 2026-09-29T09:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: atomic, supply chain, ai, tesla, fundraising, doordash, hellofresh, klass capital, madrona venture group, technology, startups
## Tesla's supply chain problem
During Tesla's 2018 Model 3 production ramp, the automaker's spreadsheets could not keep up with how quickly planning needed to change. This crisis led to the creation of Atomic's core system.
## What Atomic does
Atomic decides how much inventory a company should have and where by simulating scenarios, then recommending or even automatically choosing a response to optimize supply chain decisions.
## From stealth to customers
Atomic came out of stealth last year with co-founders Michael Rossiter and Neal Suidan, who promised to use their Tesla experience to streamline inventory and boost customers' bottom lines.
## Real customers, real growth
Atomic's annual recurring revenue has quintupled since the beginning of this year, with customers including Big Tech companies like DoorDash and HelloFresh, according to Jon McNeill, a former Tesla president.
## Series A funding secured
Boston-based Atomic locked down a twelve point five million dollar Series A funding round, bringing its total funding to just over fifteen million dollars. The round was led by Klass Capital and Madrona Venture Group.
## Tesla veteran joins as CTO
Atomic brought on Jeff Goodrich, a longtime Tesla planning director, as its CTO and third co-founder, strengthening the company's leadership with deep supply chain expertise.
## From recommendations to decisions
The product evolved from an optimization platform that gives recommendations to one that makes decisions autonomously. DoorDash is running ninety percent of its purchasing across hundreds of sites through Atomic.

> the product has evolved from being an optimization platform that gives recommendations to a platform that not only gives recommendations but it makes decisions, so it's fully autonomous in that sense
## AI adapts across industries
Atomic's software helps cut waste and spoilage for food-focused customers like DoorDash. The company is working with consumer packaged goods, mobility and manufacturing clients, drawing on its Tesla roots.
## Speed as competitive advantage
Atomic's ability to deploy quickly with new customers and figure out decision rules without written documentation drew investor interest. Decision speed compounds over time and separates winners from competitors.

> decision speed is an advantage in any business. And this was one of our first principles at Tesla. When I got to know Elon, he said the thing that will separate us from all of our competitors is decision speed, because decision speed compounds.
## Moving beyond spreadsheets
Rossiter said he is excited to help pull customers' supply chain efforts out of spreadsheets into advanced software. Finance data gets priority, but operating data rarely receives the same attention from executives.

> Finance data always gets the priority. Operating data doesn't always get that.
## Key takeaway

Atomic, a Boston-based supply chain startup founded by ex-Tesla engineers, raised twelve point five million dollars in Series A funding to expand its AI platform that automates inventory and purchasing decisions for major customers.