What Is Rivr?
Rivr is a robotics company based in Zurich, Switzerland, that spun out of ETH Zurich's Robotic Systems Lab in 2023. It was co-founded and is led by CEO Marko Bjelonic, and its technology originated as academic research under Professor Marco Hutter's lab. The company was previously known as Swiss-Mile before rebranding to Rivr in March 2025.
Rivr's focus is last-mile delivery, the final, most expensive leg of getting a package from a vehicle to a customer's door. Bjelonic has described that stretch as the hardest and costliest link in the logistics chain, driven by the growth of e-commerce and the labor cost of a human driver walking up every driveway and staircase.
In March 2025, Rivr partnered with U.S. parcel platform Veho to put its robots to work on the streets of Austin, Texas, delivering e-commerce parcels alongside human drivers. Amazon acquired the company in March 2026.
The Rivr Two Robot: Specs And How It Works
The company's current robot is the Rivr Two, a wheeled-legged quadruped that Bjelonic has memorably called a "dog on roller skates." Instead of choosing between wheels or legs, it combines both: wheels for fast, efficient travel on flat sidewalks and roads, and legs for climbing curbs, stairs, gates, and uneven ground where wheeled sidewalk robots typically get stuck.
That hybrid design is the whole point of the product. Amazon's own earlier delivery robot, Scout, was a simple six-wheeled unit tested in Seattle, Southern California, Atlanta, and Franklin, Tennessee, and Amazon shelved it in 2022 after concluding it did not meet customer expectations, largely because a wheels-only robot cannot reach a raised porch or climb a stoop.
Rivr Two reportedly travels at up to 15 km/h (about 9.3 mph) and carries roughly 30 kg (about 66 lbs) of cargo in a bin mounted on top, letting it move at walking-to-jogging pace between a parked delivery vehicle and a customer's front door, stairs included.
| Attribute | Rivr Two | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Mobility | Wheeled-legged hybrid quadruped | Wheels for speed, legs for stairs and obstacles |
| Top speed | ~15 km/h (~9.3 mph) | As reported by company and press coverage |
| Payload | ~30 kg (~66 lbs) | Cargo bin mounted on top of the chassis |
| Key capability | Stair and curb climbing | The gap Amazon's earlier Scout robot could not close |
| Status | Deployed in pilots; Amazon-owned since March 2026 | Not sold to consumers |
Amazon's Acquisition Of Rivr (March 2026)
Amazon acquired Rivr in March 2026, confirmed by both the company and an Amazon spokesperson after Bjelonic announced the deal on LinkedIn on March 19. Terms of the deal, including the price, were not disclosed.
The acquisition follows a close existing relationship: Jeff Bezos personally led Rivr's roughly $22 million seed round in 2024 through Bezos Expeditions, with participation from Amazon's own Industrial Innovation Fund and investor HongShan. Rivr had raised about $25 million total and was last valued near $100 million before the acquisition.
Bjelonic framed the deal as a way to scale faster: "This step will accelerate our vision of building general physical AI through doorstep delivery." Amazon has said it expects to begin doorstep-delivery testing with Rivr's robots later in 2026, building on the retired Scout program covered in our robotics news hub.
Rivr vs. Other Delivery Robots
Most delivery robots you may have already seen, from sidewalk bots to indoor hotel and hospital runners, are wheels-only and stop at the first curb, step, or gravel path. Rivr's legged-wheeled design is built specifically to solve that last, hardest few meters, which is why Amazon is interested in it after Scout's wheels-only approach fell short.
Rivr also sits in the same broader "legged robot" category as quadruped robot dogs used in industrial and security roles, even though its job is delivery rather than inspection or patrol. If you want the wider picture of what legged robots look like outside logistics, see our military robot dogs guide and top robot dogs buying guide.
For the delivery-robot category as a whole, including indoor and sidewalk options that are actually available today, see our delivery robots comparison and food delivery robots guide.
Can You Buy A Rivr Robot?
No. Rivr Two is not a consumer product and was never sold directly to the public. It has operated as a piloted delivery robot working with a logistics partner (Veho, in Austin, Texas) rather than something an individual or business could purchase off the shelf.
Since Amazon's acquisition in March 2026, Rivr's robots and technology belong to Amazon, and the company is not taking independent orders. Watch for Amazon's own doorstep-delivery pilots later in 2026 rather than a Rivr storefront.
Bottom Line
Rivr is the Zurich-based, ETH Zurich-spun-out robotics company behind the Rivr Two, a wheeled-legged delivery robot built to solve the one problem wheels-only sidewalk robots can't: reaching a doorstep past stairs and curbs. Amazon acquired Rivr in March 2026 to accelerate its own doorstep-delivery ambitions after retiring its earlier Scout robot, and Rivr's robots are no longer an independent, purchasable product.
See how Rivr's legged-wheeled approach compares with today's delivery robots in our delivery robots comparison, and track Amazon's rollout in our robotics news hub.
FAQs
What is Rivr?
Rivr is a Zurich-based robotics company, spun out of ETH Zurich's Robotic Systems Lab in 2023, that builds wheeled-legged delivery robots designed to carry parcels the last stretch to a customer's door, including up stairs. It was formerly called Swiss-Mile.
What is the Rivr Two robot?
Rivr Two is Rivr's wheeled-legged quadruped delivery robot, described by CEO Marko Bjelonic as a "dog on roller skates." It reportedly travels up to about 15 km/h, carries around 30 kg of cargo, and can climb stairs and curbs that wheels-only sidewalk robots cannot.
Did Amazon acquire Rivr?
Yes. Amazon acquired Rivr in March 2026, confirmed by Rivr CEO Marko Bjelonic and an Amazon spokesperson. Deal terms were not disclosed. Amazon's Industrial Innovation Fund had previously backed Rivr's 2024 seed round alongside Jeff Bezos.
Who founded Rivr?
Rivr was co-founded by CEO Marko Bjelonic, building on research from ETH Zurich's Robotic Systems Lab under Professor Marco Hutter. The company spun out of ETH Zurich in 2023 and rebranded from Swiss-Mile to Rivr in March 2025.
Can I buy a Rivr robot?
No. Rivr Two has only operated in delivery pilots, such as its 2025 partnership with Veho in Austin, Texas, and was never sold to consumers. Since Amazon's March 2026 acquisition, Rivr's technology belongs to Amazon rather than being available for independent purchase.