Amazon has acquired Rivr, a Zurich-based autonomous robotics startup known for its stair-climbing delivery robot. Although the companies have not disclosed the financial terms, the deal clearly highlights Amazon’s growing focus on enhancing doorstep delivery through advanced robotics.
Co-founder and CEO Marko Bjelonic announced the acquisition on LinkedIn. Notably, he had earlier described the company’s four-legged wheeled robot as a “dog on roller skates,” emphasizing its unique mobility design. Furthermore, Bjelonic stated 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,” indicating that Amazon’s backing will help Rivr deploy its robots more rapidly and efficiently.
Previously, Rivr had initiated a pilot program in Austin in collaboration with Veho, a package delivery firm. At that time, Bjelonic expressed his intention to leverage the partnership to scale operations and eventually deploy up to 100 robots by 2026. However, it remains unclear whether the company achieved that target.
Importantly, the robotics startup had already attracted Amazon’s attention well before the acquisition. The Amazon Industrial Innovation Fund and Bezos Expeditions had participated in Rivr’s $22.2 million seed funding round, which closed in 2024. Overall, the startup raised a total of $25 million and was last valued at approximately $100 million, according to available data.
The acquisition of Rivr underscores a significant step toward integrating autonomous robots into real-world delivery ecosystems. By leveraging Amazon’s scale and resources, Rivr is now better positioned to accelerate innovation and bring next-generation doorstep delivery solutions to market faster.
