Amazon Buys Rivr, Maker of Stair-Climbing Delivery Robots
▼ Summary
– Amazon has acquired Rivr, a Zurich-based startup known for its stair-climbing delivery robot, signaling its interest in doorstep delivery.
– Rivr’s CEO stated the acquisition will accelerate their vision of deploying “General Physical AI” for robotics at scale using Amazon’s resources.
– The company previously launched a pilot delivery program in Austin with the package delivery company Veho, aiming to scale to 100 robots by 2026.
– Amazon’s venture fund and Jeff Bezos’s personal fund had already invested in Rivr as part of a $22.2 million seed round in 2024.
– Prior to the acquisition, Rivr had raised a total of $25 million and was last valued at $100 million.
Amazon has acquired Rivr, a Swiss robotics company specializing in autonomous delivery robots capable of navigating stairs. This strategic move underscores the e-commerce leader’s deepening commitment to solving the complex “last-mile” delivery challenge, aiming to bring packages directly to a customer’s doorstep regardless of building accessibility. The financial terms of the purchase were not made public.
The acquisition was announced by Rivr’s co-founder and CEO, Marko Bjelonic, on LinkedIn. He expressed that joining Amazon would “accelerate our vision of building General Physical AI through doorstep delivery,” effectively leveraging the tech giant’s vast resources to scale the deployment of their unique robots. Bjelonic had previously described the company’s four-legged, wheeled machine in a memorable way, calling it a “dog on roller skates.”
Rivr’s technology is designed to tackle a specific and persistent problem in urban logistics: delivering to apartments or homes with steps. Before the acquisition, the startup was conducting a pilot program in Austin, Texas, in partnership with the delivery company Veho. The goal of that pilot was to gather real-world data, with an ambitious target of deploying 100 robots by 2026. It remains unknown whether Rivr was on track to meet that goal prior to the buyout.
Amazon’s interest in Rivr is not a new development. The company’s venture arm, the Amazon Industrial Innovation Fund, along with Jeff Bezos’s personal investment fund, Bezos Expeditions, had already participated in Rivr’s funding. They were part of a $22.2 million seed round that closed earlier this year. According to available data, Rivr had raised approximately $25 million in total funding and was last valued at around $100 million before the acquisition.
This purchase signals a clear direction for Amazon’s logistics strategy, moving beyond sidewalk robots and drone experiments to invest in a solution for multi-story residential deliveries. Integrating Rivr’s stair-climbing capability could provide a significant competitive edge in dense urban markets, where doorstep access is often a major hurdle for conventional delivery services.
(Source: TechCrunch)
