Amazon (AMZN) Stock Rises After Fauna Robotics Acquisition

TLDR

• Amazon confirmed it acquired Fauna Robotics, a New York-based humanoid robot startup founded in 2024 by ex-Meta and Google engineers.
• Fauna’s robot, Sprout, is a 3’6″ bipedal robot priced at $50,000, powered by NVIDIA’s Jetson Orin platform.
• The deal closed last week; financial terms were not disclosed.
• Fauna’s ~50 employees will join Amazon’s Personal Robotics Group in New York, operating as “Fauna, an Amazon company.”
• The move follows Amazon’s acquisition of Swiss robotics firm Rivr last week, signaling a clear push into consumer and delivery robotics.

Amazon confirmed Tuesday it has acquired Fauna Robotics, a humanoid robot startup founded in 2024 by former Meta and Google engineers. The deal closed last week, though financial terms were not disclosed.

The acquisition puts Amazon squarely into the humanoid robot race, a space that has grown more competitive over the past few years.

Fauna’s debut product is called Sprout — a bipedal robot standing 3 feet, 6 inches tall and weighing 50 pounds. It’s designed to be approachable and consumer-friendly, not just a warehouse machine.

Amazon.com, Inc., AMZN

Sprout retails at $50,000 and comes with software, grippers, and a swappable battery with around 3 hours of charge. It runs on NVIDIA’s Jetson Orin robotics platform and can form memories over time.

The robot can walk, dance, open doors, respond to its name, and hold back-and-forth conversations. Disney and Hyundai’s Boston Dynamics signed on as early customers.

Fauna’s roughly 50 employees will move to an Amazon location in New York and continue operating under the name “Fauna, an Amazon company.” Co-founders Rob Cochran and Josh Merel are staying on.

Fauna slots into Amazon’s Personal Robotics Group — a different lane from its warehouse automation work.

A History of Robotics Bets

Amazon’s robotics story goes back more than a decade. Its $775 million acquisition of Kiva Systems in 2012 became the backbone of Amazon Robotics, the division running warehouse automation today.

Amazon tried the home robot market before with Astro, a $1,600 roving personal robot launched in 2021 that remains invite-only. Sprout is a more direct consumer play.

This latest deal comes just days after Amazon announced it acquired Rivr, a Swiss company developing robots for doorstep delivery.

The Humanoid Field Is Getting Crowded

Amazon is joining a fast-filling field. Tesla is developing its Optimus humanoid at its Fremont factory, with CEO Elon Musk targeting 1 million units per year.

Other players in the space include 1X, Figure AI, Apptronik, Agility Robotics, and China’s Unitree.

Amazon said it plans to use its robotics expertise, retail experience, and devices background to explore what personal robots could do for consumers.

AMZN stock closed up 2.28%, or $4.73, on Tuesday.

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