Zurich-based autonomous robotics startup Rivr, known for its stair-climbing delivery robots, has been acquired by Amazon in a deal that signals the e-commerce giant’s interest in doorstep delivery. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Marko Bezlonnik, co-founder and CEO of River, who once described the four-legged wheeled robot to TechCrunch “Dog on roller skates,shared acquisition news on linkedin. information was first report a deal.
Bezlonik said in his LinkedIn post that the acquisition will “accelerate our vision of building general physical AI through doorstep delivery, bringing robotics and AI closer to large-scale real-world deployment,” meaning, in clear terms, Amazon’s resources should help Rival get its robots to more doorsteps faster.
Last year, River launched a pilot program in Austin with package delivery company WeHo. Bezlonik said, at the time, they hoped to learn from the partnership with WeHo and eventually reach 100 bots by 2026. It’s unclear whether the company was ever able to reach that milestone.
TechCrunch has contacted Rivre for comment.
River attracted Amazon’s attention long before its pilot program. According to PitchBook, Amazon Industrial Innovation Fund and Bezos Expeditions invested in River as part of a $22.2 million seed round, which closes in 2024. The startup, which had raised a total of $25 million, had a final valuation of $100 million.
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