Amazon acquires startup Rivr to test robots for ‘doorstep delivery’

Amazon bought RiverA Swiss robotics company is developing machines for “door delivery”, the company confirmed on Thursday. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Amazon quietly acquired the company earlier this week but did not announce the acquisition. It announced the deal in a notice sent to third-party delivery contractors.

“We would like to share that we recently acquired RIVR, a company focused on technology that can help with door-to-door delivery,” Amazon wrote in the notice viewed by CNBC. “We believe in this technology when working with you [delivery associates]“It has the potential to further improve safety outcomes and the overall customer experience, especially in the final steps of the delivery process.”

In a statement to CNBC, an Amazon spokesperson said the acquisition reflects “our commitment to continuing investment in research” and efforts to improve the safety of delivery workers.

Information was the first to report the agreement.

The company relies on a network of thousands of third-party contractors who deliver packages exclusively to Amazon. These contractors are responsible for the so-called last mile portion of deliveries; This refers to the process of ferrying packages from an Amazon warehouse to the customer’s door.

Amazon has invested more than a decade to automate more aspects of its warehouse operations. Amazon Robotics, the unit dedicated to these efforts, was founded thereafter. acquired Warehouse robots manufacturer Kiva Systems was acquired for $775 million in 2012.

The company last October in question It had deployed more than 1 million robots in its operations network.

Rivr’s technology, which includes a four-legged robot on wheels, will allow it to research and test how the devices can be integrated into delivery operations, including “helping DAs move packages from delivery vehicles to the customer’s door,” Amazon said in a notice sent to delivery service partner owners.

“We are in the early stages of this journey, and as we move forward, we will engage you and our teams to help us test this technology in the field, gather real-world insights, and incorporate your feedback into how we scale this technology in the future,” the company said. he wrote.

Amazon had previously invested in Rivr through its $1 billion Industrial Innovation Fund, launched in 2022 to support warehouse and logistics technologies. Bezos Expeditions, the venture capital company founded by Amazon’s founder and chairman Jeff Bezos, also attended Rivr’s fair. $22 million seed round last March. Rivr was formerly known as Swiss-Mile.

Wall StreetJournal On Thursday, it was reported that Bezos was in early talks to raise $100 billion for a fund that would acquire manufacturing companies in sectors such as chipmaking, defense and aerospace, and then use artificial intelligence to accelerate automation.