Travis Kalanick yesterday stepped down from his role as CEO of the ride-sharing firm Uber Technologies Inc. He will remain on the board of directors. Kalanick joins a number of Uber executives who recently left the firm, including its president.

“Travis has always put Uber first,” Uber’s board said in a statement. “This is a bold decision and a sign of his devotion and love for Uber. By stepping away, he’s taking the time to heal from his personal tragedy [the sudden death of his mother] while giving the company room to fully embrace this new chapter in Uber’s history. We look forward to continuing to serve with him on the board.”

Earlier on Tuesday, five of Uber’s major investors demanded that Kalanick resign immediately, according to The New York Times, which first reported the story. The investors included one of Uber’s biggest shareholders, the venture capital firm Benchmark, which has one of its partners, Bill Gurley, on Uber’s board.

NPR reported Kalanick wrote a note to employees stating, “As you all know, I love Uber more than anything in the world, but at this difficult moment in my personal life, I have accepted a group of investors’ request to step aside, so that Uber can go back to building rather than be distracted with another fight. I will continue to serve on the board, and will be available in any and all ways to help Uber become everything we've dreamed it would be. Thank you for everything.”