Rivr

Robotics · Last-Mile Delivery · Logistics Automation

Acquisition

Amazon acquires Zurich robotics startup Rivr for stair-climbing delivery robots

Most delivery robots stall at the first staircase, making the final twenty feet the hardest unsolved problem in last-mile logistics.

• Amazon has acquired Rivr, a Zurich-based robotics startup building wheeled-legged quadruped robots designed to climb stairs and curbs for doorstep delivery, with deal terms undisclosed.
• Founded in 2023 as Swiss-Mile, Rivr is led by CEO and co-founder Marko Bjelonic, who describes its hybrid robot as 'a dog on roller skates' pairing wheeled speed with legged agility.
• Before the deal, Rivr had raised $25 million total at a $100 million valuation, with the Amazon Industrial Innovation Fund and Bezos Expeditions backing its 2024 seed round.
• Rivr had piloted deliveries with logistics partner Veho in Austin, aiming to scale its robot fleet there to 100 units by 2026 before the acquisition folded it into Amazon's network.
• The purchase lands alongside Amazon's internally reported Project Tetromino, a separate push to automate package sorting at delivery stations, underscoring a broader robotics buildout across its logistics chain.
• Stairs, curbs and uneven walkways, not open road, have been the persistent blocker for delivery robots; solving that last stretch could let Amazon extend automation from warehouses all the way to the doorstep.