Amazon acquires Rivr, maker of a stair-climbing delivery robot

In Brief

Rivr, a Zurich-based autonomous robotics startup known for its stair-climbing transportation robot, has been acquired by Amazon successful a woody that signals the e-commerce giant’s involvement successful doorstep delivery. Terms of the woody weren’t disclosed.

Rivr co-founder and CEO Marko Bjelonic, who erstwhile described the four-legged wheeled robot to TechCrunch arsenic a “dog connected roller skates,” shared the acquisition quality on LinkedIn. The Information was archetypal to report the deal.

Bjelonic said successful his LinkedIn station that the acquisition volition “accelerate our imaginativeness of gathering General Physical AI done doorstep delivery, bringing robotics and AI person to real-world deployment astatine scale.”

Last year, Rivr launched a aviator programme successful Austin with Veho, bundle transportation company. Bjelonic said, astatine the time, helium hoped to larn from the concern with Veho and yet standard to 100 bots by 2026. It’s unclear if the institution was ever capable to scope that milestone.

TechCrunch has reached retired to Rivr for comment.

Rivr got the attraction of Amazon agelong earlier its aviator program. The Amazon Industrial Innovation Fund and Bezos Expeditions invested successful Rivr arsenic portion of a $22.2 cardinal effect circular that closed successful 2024, according to Pitchbook. The startup, which had raised a full of $25 million, was past valued astatine $100 million.

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