Amazon Strengthens Robotics Division with New Talent from Covariant
Amazon made waves on Friday evening by announcing the acquisition of Covariant’s founders—Pieter Abbeel, Peter Chen, and Rocky Duan—as well as approximately 25% of the startup’s workforce. The e-commerce giant has also secured a non-exclusive license to utilize Covariant’s advanced robotic foundation models.
Covariant is recognized for its innovative approach to robotics, with a mission to create AI models tailored specifically for robotic applications. As Peter Chen previously explained to TechCrunch, their focus is akin to developing a "large language model, but for robots," initially targeting tasks performed by robotic arms within warehouses, such as bin picking.
"Our objective is to enhance our operations by integrating some of the brightest minds in the field," commented Joseph Quinlivan, Amazon’s Vice President of Fulfillment Technologies & Robotics. He emphasized that leveraging Covariant’s AI technology will optimize the performance of Amazon’s existing robotic fleet, ultimately delivering tangible benefits to customers.
This strategic move mirrors Amazon’s earlier hiring of the founders from AI startup Adept in June, illustrating the company’s strategy of onboarding talent and technology without pursuing complete acquisitions. This tactic has been characterized by some as a "reverse acquihire," where major tech firms leverage hiring and licensing to circumvent antitrust challenges.
Despite this significant personnel shift, Covariant will continue to operate independently under the guidance of Ted Stinson and Tianhao Zhang. Stinson, previously the startup’s COO, has now taken on the role of CEO. The company remains committed to deploying its Covariant Brain technology across various industries globally, including apparel, health and beauty, grocery, and pharmaceuticals.
