Rivr, the Zurich-based autonomous robotics startup known for its stair-climbing delivery robot, has been acquired by Amazon in a deal that signals the e-commerce giant’s interest in doorstep delivery. The terms of the contract were not disclosed.
Co-founder and CEO Marko Bjelonic, who once described the four-legged wheeled robot to TechCrunch, said, “dog on skates” shared the news of the purchase It’s LinkedIn. Information came first report the deal.
Bjelonic said in a LinkedIn post 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,” meaning Amazon’s resources should help Rivr get its robots to more doorsteps faster.
Last year, Rivr launched a pilot program in Austin with package delivery company Veho. Bjelonic said at the time that he hoped to learn from the partnership with Veho and eventually reach 100 bots by 2026. It is unclear whether the company will ever reach this milestone.
TechCrunch has reached out to River for comment.
Rivr caught Amazon’s attention long before its pilot program. The Amazon Industrial Innovation Fund and Bezos Expeditions invested in Rivr as part of a $22.2 million seed round that closes in 2024, according to PitchBook. The startup, which raised a total of $25 million, was last valued at $100 million.
Techcrunch event
San Francisco, CA
|
October 13-15, 2026
