Amazon has acquired the robotics company Covariant to accelerate innovation in AI and automation in logistics.

September 1, 2024 (excerpt)

E-commerce giant Amazon has strategically moved forward with the future of warehouse automation. By acquiring the technology and key personnel of the robotics company Covariant, Amazon aims to accelerate the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation technology, paving the way for a new era in logistics revolution.

In this acquisition, Amazon has obtained a non-exclusive license for Covariant's robotics foundational models. Noteworthy is that Amazon has onboarded approximately one-fourth of Covariant's employees, especially key personnel like the founders Pieter Abbeel, Peter Chen, and Rocky Duan, into Amazon's Fulfillment Technology & Robotics team. Industry experts point out that this talent acquisition may revolutionize Amazon's automation strategy.