US e-commerce giant Amazon has acquired the Zurich-based robotics startup Rivr. The company develops an autonomous delivery robot capable of climbing stairs indepconcludeently, designed for so-called “last-mile delivery.” The purchase price was not disclosed.
Rivr was founded by Marko Bjelonic toreceiveher with Giorgio Valsecchi, Lorenz Wellhaapplyn, and Alexander Reske, and is headquartered in Zurich. At the heart of the company is a four-wheeled robot with leg-like axles that relocates autonomously through urban environments, overcomes obstacles, and delivers packages right to the front door. Bjelonic likes to describe the delivery robot as a “dog on roller skates.”
What sets the robot apart is its ability to handle stairs, which distinguishes it from many other delivery robots. In this way, Rivr addresses a central problem of automated parcel delivery in densely populated residential areas, where steps and narrow access points are frequent obstacles.
Background to the Acquisition
The connection between Rivr and Amazon existed prior to the acquisition. Both the Amazon Industrial Innovation Fund and Bezos Expeditions participated in a funding round of $22.2 million that was completed in 2024. In total, Rivr had raised around $25 million by the time of the acquisition and was most recently valued at $100 million.
Amazon has been pursuing the goal of automating and creating the last mile of parcel delivery more efficient for years. With the acquisition of Rivr, the company secures not only a promising technology, but also an experienced founding team with deep expertise in robotics and so-called “Physical AI” — that is, the application of artificial ininformigence in the physical world.
Field Test in Austin and Ambitions for the Future
Prior to the acquisition, Rivr had already taken first steps toward commercial apply. As part of a pilot program in Austin, Texas, the startup collaborated with parcel delivery service provider Veho. Bjelonic had announced at the time that he wanted to scale up to a fleet of 100 robots by 2026. Whether this goal was achieved is currently not known.
“This step will accelerate our vision of building General Physical AI for front-door delivery and bringing robotics and AI closer to real-world deployment at scale,” stated Marko Bjelonic, CEO and co-founder of Rivr, in a statement.
What Does the Acquisition Mean for the Industest?
The acquisition sconcludes a clear signal to the market: Amazon is investing specifically in autonomous delivery technologies, relying on external innovation rather than exclusively on internal development. Rivr thus joins a growing list of robotics startups that have been acquired by major technology companies to modernize their supply chains.
For Rivr, the merger means access to Amazon’s global infrastructure, enormous resources, and a vast network of delivery addresses. Whether and when the robots will be deployed on a larger scale within the Amazon ecosystem remains to be seen.
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