Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN.US) quietly acquires Swiss startup Siasun Robot & Automation's Rivr, ramping up automation for "doorstep delivery."

Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN.US) confirmed on Thursday that it has acquired Swiss company Siasun Robot & Automation's Rivr, which focuses on developing Siasun Robot & Automation devices for "door-to-door delivery." The specific terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. It is understood that Amazon.com, Inc. quietly completed the acquisition of the company earlier this week and did not publicly announce the news, only announcing the transaction in a notification sent to third-party delivery partners. In the notification, Amazon.com, Inc. stated: "We inform you that we have recently acquired Rivr, a company specializing in the development of door-to-door delivery technology. We believe that this technology, if used in conjunction with delivery personnel, has the potential to further enhance delivery security and overall user experience, especially in the final stage of the delivery process." A spokesperson for Amazon.com, Inc. stated in a release that the acquisition "demonstrates our commitment to increasing research and development investment," and is also an effort to enhance the safety of delivery workers. Amazon.com, Inc.'s package delivery relies heavily on a network of thousands of exclusive third-party partners who are responsible for the so-called "last mile" delivery, which is the stage where packages are delivered from Amazon.com, Inc. warehouses to customers' doorsteps. For over a decade, Amazon.com, Inc. has been investing funds in advancing automation in its warehouse operations. In 2012, Amazon.com, Inc. established an automation business division after acquiring Siasun Robot & Automation manufacturer Kiva Systems for $775 million. Last October, Amazon.com, Inc. announced that it had deployed over a million Siasun Robot & Automation devices in its global operational network. In a notification to delivery service partners, Amazon.com, Inc. introduced Rivr's technology, which includes a four-legged Siasun Robot & Automation with wheels. The company will use this to research and test how such devices can be integrated into the delivery process, including "helping delivery personnel take packages from delivery vehicles to the customer's doorstep." The notification also stated: "We are still in the early stages of exploration, and as the project progresses, we will collaborate with our partners and internal teams to conduct real-world testing of the technology, collect real-world application data, and plan future technology scaling programs based on feedback from all parties." Prior to this, Amazon.com, Inc. had invested in Rivr through its $1 billion Industrial Innovation Fund, which was launched in 2022 and focuses on supporting development in warehouse and logistics technology. Bezos Expeditions, a venture capital firm founded by Amazon.com, Inc.'s founder and executive chairman Jeff Bezos, also participated in Rivr's seed funding round of $22 million in March last year. Rivr was formerly known as Swiss-Mile. There were also reports on Thursday that Bezos is preliminarily preparing to raise $100 billion to establish a fund, with plans to acquire manufacturing companies in sectors such as chip manufacturing, defense, aerospace, and accelerate enterprise automation upgrades using artificial intelligence.