Rivr, an autonomous robotics startup from Zurich known for its stair-climbing delivery robot, has been acquired by Amazon, highlighting the e-commerce giant’s interest in doorstep delivery. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Rivr co-founder and CEO Marko Bjelonic, who previously described the four-legged wheeled robot as a “dog on roller skates,” announced the acquisition on LinkedIn. The Information first reported the deal.
Bjelonic mentioned on LinkedIn that the acquisition will “accelerate our vision of building General Physical AI through doorstep delivery, bringing robotics and AI closer to real-world deployment at scale,” essentially meaning that Amazon’s resources will aid Rivr in expanding its robots’ presence on more doorsteps, quicker.
In the previous year, Rivr started a pilot program in Austin with the package delivery company Veho. Bjelonic expressed a desire to learn from the Veho partnership and potentially expand to 100 bots by 2026. It’s unclear whether this milestone was met.
Rivr has been approached for comment by TechCrunch.
Rivr caught Amazon’s attention even before its pilot program. The Amazon Industrial Innovation Fund and Bezos Expeditions invested in Rivr as part of a $22.2 million seed round concluded in 2024, as per Pitchbook. The startup, which had raised a total of $25 million, was last valued at $100 million.