Amazon has just acquired Rivr, a self-propelled robot startup based in Zurich (Switzerland), famous for its stair climbing delivery robot technology.
The deal did not disclose its value but is considered a strategic step to accelerate the automation of the final delivery stage.
Rivr attracts attention thanks to a four-legged robot model with wheels, capable of flexibly moving on many complex terrains, especially stairs, which is a major obstacle for current automated delivery systems.
Rivr CEO and co-founder Marko Bjelonic once likened this design to "a roller coaster dog".
Sharing about the deal, Bjelonic said that resources from Amazon will help Rivr accelerate its vision of developing "general physical artificial intelligence" through home delivery services.
In other words, robots will not only stop at testing but will be widely deployed in practice.
Previously, Rivr had implemented a pilot program in Austin (USA) with delivery company Veho. This startup expects to expand its scale to 100 robots by 2026, but the specific progress has not been announced after it is acquired by Amazon.
In fact, Amazon tracked Rivr early. According to data from PitchBook, the Amazon Industrial Innovation Foundation and Bezos Expeditions participated in Rivr's 22.2 million USD seed funding round in 2024.
The total capital this startup raised is about 25 million USD, with the nearest valuation reaching 100 million USD.
Experts believe that this deal shows the trend of technology giants increasing investment in robots and physical AI, in order to optimize costs and improve logistics efficiency.
With Rivr, Amazon has an important piece to complete the automated delivery ecosystem, especially in the context of increasing demand for door-to-door delivery.
