Latest news with #Veho
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Veho and RIVR pilot robotic e-commerce delivery in US
Parcel delivery service provider Veho, in collaboration with Swiss robotics firm RIVR, has initiated a trial involving AI-driven robots for e-commerce deliveries. The trial, which began in the city of Austin, Texas, may extend to more cities in the second half of 2025 based on the outcomes of this initial phase. RIVR's robots are equipped with general physical AI, enabling them to complete the final stretch of delivery from the delivery vehicle to the doorstep. They can navigate complex terrains including stairs and uneven paths, setting them apart from other delivery bots that only reach the kerb, or drones that face challenges in crowded urban settings. RIVR CEO Marko Bjelonic stated: 'With the exponential rise in e-commerce, the last mile has become the most critical — and complex — link in the logistics chain. Our partnership with Veho is a major milestone on the journey to scale urban robotics where it's needed most.' The robots will perform simultaneous deliveries alongside human drivers and their introduction is intended to augment drivers' capacity to deliver more packages at a quicker rate while reducing physical exertion, rather than replacing humans. Each robot can navigate directly to customers' doorsteps and place parcels as instructed. Customers will receive photo confirmation of each delivery through the Veho app. To ensure safety and high-quality delivery service during the trial, each robot will be accompanied by a RIVR employee. Veho and RIVR personnel will closely monitor the robots' performance in real-world delivery scenarios. Veho co-founder and CEO Itamar Zur stated: 'This partnership is an exciting next step in reinventing e-commerce delivery and enabling brands to turn shipping from a cost centre to a value driver. 'When it comes to delivery, customers care most about its reliability, speed and cost. This partnership will help us learn if a robot working with a human can help reduce delivery costs while improving on-time-delivery and speed, all while maintaining a great delivery and brand experience.' This partnership marks the entry of RIVR in the US market. Veho's network spans 50 metropolitan areas in the US, having recently expanded into New York City. The company operates more than 30 distribution centres nationwide and operates an app-based platform utilised by 84,000 independent driver-partners. "Veho and RIVR pilot robotic e-commerce delivery in US" was originally created and published by Retail Insight Network, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Axios
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Axios
Delivery bots learn to tackle those last 100 steps
Swiss robotics company Rivr is partnering with Veho, a gig-based delivery company, to test its wheel-legged robot in Austin, Texas. Why it matters: By starting with last-mile package delivery, Rivr says it's "laying the groundwork for a powerful data flywheel" that will accelerate robotic intelligence for other use cases. Between the lines: General robots face a tougher challenge than self-driving cars, Marko Bjelonic, Rivr's co-founder and CEO, tells Axios. Human-driven vehicles at least have cameras that collect data that can be used to train virtual drivers, he said. "In the robotics world, it's a chicken and egg problem. We don't have data readily available and we don't have robots out doing meaningful work in the real world to collect data," he told Axios. Zoom in: In Austin, Rivr's robot will begin gathering critical data by learning how to navigate stairs, porches, and uneven terrain, not just sidewalks. Working alongside a human driver, the robot will handle real Veho e-commerce deliveries from retailers such as Macy's and Lululemon. While the driver completes one drop-off, the robot will deliver another, navigating from the delivery vehicle all the way to the customer's doorstep, placing parcels according to the customer's instructions, and using the Veho app to send a photo of each successful delivery. The robots won't replace human delivery drivers. Rather, they are intended to enable humans to deliver more parcels, faster, with less physical strain. Where it stands: The pilot involves just one robot for now, but as more data is collected and the robot gets smarter, Rivr and Veho expect to have a fleet of 100 doing deliveries by next year. "I can't just go in today and deploy a million robots and hope it works," says Bjelonic. "There's a natural scaling effect." The bottom line: Bringing a package to someone's doorstep seems simple for a human. But navigating gravel driveways, climbing steps or opening gates is a monumental challenge for a robot.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Veho and RIVR pilot robotic e-commerce delivery in US
Parcel delivery service provider Veho, in collaboration with Swiss robotics firm RIVR, has initiated a trial involving AI-driven robots for e-commerce deliveries. The trial, which began in the city of Austin, Texas, may extend to more cities in the second half of 2025 based on the outcomes of this initial phase. RIVR's robots are equipped with general physical AI, enabling them to complete the final stretch of delivery from the delivery vehicle to the doorstep. They can navigate complex terrains including stairs and uneven paths, setting them apart from other delivery bots that only reach the kerb, or drones that face challenges in crowded urban settings. RIVR CEO Marko Bjelonic stated: 'With the exponential rise in e-commerce, the last mile has become the most critical — and complex — link in the logistics chain. Our partnership with Veho is a major milestone on the journey to scale urban robotics where it's needed most.' The robots will perform simultaneous deliveries alongside human drivers and their introduction is intended to augment drivers' capacity to deliver more packages at a quicker rate while reducing physical exertion, rather than replacing humans. Each robot can navigate directly to customers' doorsteps and place parcels as instructed. Customers will receive photo confirmation of each delivery through the Veho app. To ensure safety and high-quality delivery service during the trial, each robot will be accompanied by a RIVR employee. Veho and RIVR personnel will closely monitor the robots' performance in real-world delivery scenarios. Veho co-founder and CEO Itamar Zur stated: 'This partnership is an exciting next step in reinventing e-commerce delivery and enabling brands to turn shipping from a cost centre to a value driver. 'When it comes to delivery, customers care most about its reliability, speed and cost. This partnership will help us learn if a robot working with a human can help reduce delivery costs while improving on-time-delivery and speed, all while maintaining a great delivery and brand experience.' This partnership marks the entry of RIVR in the US market. Veho's network spans 50 metropolitan areas in the US, having recently expanded into New York City. The company operates more than 30 distribution centres nationwide and operates an app-based platform utilised by 84,000 independent driver-partners. "Veho and RIVR pilot robotic e-commerce delivery in US" was originally created and published by Retail Insight Network, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Veho and RIVR Partner to Improve E-Commerce Delivery Through AI-Powered Robots
The Tech Companies Will Start Deploying Robots This May in Austin, Texas AUSTIN, Texas, May 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Veho, the technology company that operates the fastest-growing alternative parcel delivery platform in the U.S., and RIVR, a physical AI and robotics leader, today announced an initiative to improve e-commerce delivery experience and efficiency through the use of parcel delivery robots. The deployment begins today in Austin, with plans to expand to additional markets later this year based upon learnings during the initial trial. The robots are not intended to replace human delivery drivers. Rather, they are intended to enable humans to deliver more parcels, faster, with less physical strain, all while maintaining the superior delivery experience for which Veho is known. The ability for humans to work with and manage robots performing deliveries may be particularly valuable in dense areas with many deliveries but limited parking. While a human driver completes one drop-off, the wheeled-legged robot will deliver another, navigating from the delivery vehicle all the way to the customer's doorstep, placing parcels according to customer's instructions, while leveraging the Veho app to send a photo of each successful delivery. See a video of the robot here. During the trial, a RIVR employee will accompany the robot to ensure safety and delivery quality, while Veho and RIVR team members monitor the robot to learn how it performs during real life deliveries. "Over nine years, Veho has proven that a delivery platform and technology built for e-commerce produces better delivery experiences and economics for consumers and brands. This partnership is an exciting next step in reinventing e-commerce delivery and enabling brands to turn shipping from a cost center to a value driver," said Veho co-founder and CEO Itamar Zur. "When it comes to delivery, customers care most about its reliability, speed and cost. Working with RIVR will help us learn if pairing a human with a robot can improve delivery reliability, speed and costs, all while maintaining a great delivery and brand experience." Veho's platform enables drivers to deliver millions of packages per month across 50 U.S. metropolitan areas, most recently launching in New York City. The technology powering Veho's network of over 30 distribution centers across the US and its app-based platform for 84,000 independent driver-partners was built entirely in-house, making Veho a partner of choice for a robotics and AI leader like RIVR. "With the exponential rise in e-commerce, the last mile has become the most critical—and complex—link in the logistics chain. At RIVR, our mission is to put one million delivery robots into the field, leveraging General Physical AI to scale urban robotics to where it's needed most," said Marko Bjelonic, CEO of RIVR. "Our partnership with Veho is a major milestone on that journey to bring our technology to the U.S. As a leading parcel delivery platform in the U.S., Veho offers the ideal environment for deploying at scale—helping us deliver not just faster and more cost-effective service, but a smarter, more human-centered model for robotics in logistics." RIVR has solved the last-100 yard challenge with the combination of its wheeled-legged design and physical AI, which enables the robot to navigate real-world obstacles like stairs, gates, and uneven terrain—all the way to the consumer's doorstep. Unlike sidewalk robots, which are limited to curbside, attended deliveries with low throughput, RIVR's robot operates in parallel with human drivers and at a speed that makes dense, multi-drop delivery commercially viable. And while drones offer reach in rural areas, RIVR is purpose-built for the complexity and scale of urban logistics—bringing automation to the final few meters of every delivery. About VehoVeho is a next-generation parcel delivery platform, turning shipping from a cost center into a value driver. By combining purpose-built technology, customer experience obsession, and a scalable delivery network, Veho enables brands to offer an Amazon-level delivery experience that improves their bottom line. The industry-leading results speak for themselves: 99% on-time delivery, 4.9/5 customer satisfaction score, 71% fewer delivery-related refunds, and a 41% increase in customer lifetime value. Now one of America's largest tech-enabled logistics platforms, Veho serves over 113 million Americans across 50 markets–and growing. Learn why leading brands like Sephora, Lululemon, Saks, and Macy's trust Veho to increase the return on their shipping spend at About RIVRRIVR is pioneering the future of last-mile delivery with its wheeled-leg robots powered by Physical AI, giving 1 human the power of 1,000 robots. RIVR enhances efficiency, sustainability, and scalability in last-mile and last-100-yard delivery—the catalyst for 1M+ robots that unlock a data flywheel for General Physical AI. Founded in 2024 by Physical AI experts from ETH Zürich, RIVR has been at the forefront of AI-driven robotics. Their innovations have gained global recognition, gaining significant media attention with more than 100M views. RIVR is backed by Jeff Bezos through Bezos Expeditions and HSG. Media Contacts:Veho: veho@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Veho
TechCrunch
5 days ago
- Business
- TechCrunch
Rivr's dog-like robots join Veho vans to solve ‘last-100-yards' parcel delivery in Austin
Most delivery automation stops at the curb. But for Veho and Zurich-based robotics startup Rivr, the real challenge — and opportunity — lies in those final 100 yards from van to doorstep. In a pilot program launching Tuesday in Austin, Rivr's four-wheeled, stair-climbing delivery robot, which CEO and founder Marko Bjelonic describes as 'a dog on rollerskates,' will ferry packages from Veho's vans directly to customers' front doors. The companies are starting small, they told TechCrunch exclusively. Just one highly supervised robot will perform daily, five-to-six-hour runs over the span of a couple of weeks throughout Austin. But both companies see it as a critical step towards solving a unique slice of the end-to-end autonomous delivery journey. Bjelonic says that in last-mile delivery, 'robotics makes an impact by actually solving these very challenging problems that are actually quite easy for humans but hard for robots. And we see [Rivr] as a differentiator, almost as the next evolutionary step from the sidewalk robots.' Aside from its U.S. debut, the partnership with Veho – which delivers across 50 U.S. markets for brands like Sephora, Saks, HelloFresh, and more – also gives Rivr an opportunity to both test its technology and accumulate data necessary to build a general physical AI framework. 'What we have seen in the robotic space is that there's a data barrier, because ChatGPT and other chatbots have the internet as training data, and autonomous cars have thousands of cars on the street that they can attach sensors to and start collecting data,' Bjelonic told TechCrunch. 'But in the robotics world, that kind of dataset is missing, so you need to find the meaningful use case where you can solve a real problem, and then you can start collecting all of the data to make these robots more intelligent.' For Veho, this partnership is a chance to test what automation looks like from the van to the customer's door and potentially allows for more deliveries to take place at once, particularly in dense urban areas where both the driver and the robot can tag team a particular street simultaneously. Bjelonic says Rivr's 'robot helpers' can also 'reduce the workload on these drivers' by taking over the physically demanding task of walking door to door. Techcrunch event Join us at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot for our leading AI industry event with speakers from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Cohere. For a limited time, tickets are just $292 for an entire day of expert talks, workshops, and potent networking. Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you've built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Berkeley, CA | REGISTER NOW During the Austin trial, a Rivr employee will accompany the bot to ensure safety and delivery quality. Bjelonic told TechCrunch the bots can operate autonomously but remote operators will be able to tap in if they get stuck. The Austin pilot will start in the more residential area of northwest Austin before expanding to denser areas of town, according to Fred Cook, Veho's co-founder and CTO. In the future, Cook says he could imagine pairing the vehicles with certain types of vehicles with charging stations for the bots to keep them going for a full day of work. Rivr hopes to use the learnings from its partnership with Veho to scale to 100 bots by next year and thousands in 2027. The startup is currently operating in the U.K. through a partnership with delivery platform Evri. Rivr has raised more than $25 million, including from a Jeff Bezos-led round that valued the company at $100 million.
