Amazon Hires Covariant Founders and Licenses AI Technology for Robotics Innovation

In a strategic move to bolster its technological capabilities, Amazon announced on Friday that it has hired the founders of AI robotics startup Covariant  Pieter Abbeel, Peter Chen, and Rocky Duan along with approximately 25% of the startup’s workforce. Additionally, Amazon has secured a non-exclusive license to leverage Covariant’s advanced robotic foundation models, marking another significant step in the tech giant's efforts to integrate cutting-edge AI into its operations.

Building the Future of Robotics

Covariant has been at the forefront of developing AI models tailored specifically for robotics, with a particular focus on enhancing robotic arms for warehouse tasks such as bin picking. Earlier this year, Peter Chen, one of Covariant’s co-founders, described their work as creating a large language model, but for robot language. This ambitious vision aims to revolutionize how robots understand and interact with their environment, potentially transforming industries that rely heavily on automated processes.

Amazon’s decision to bring Covariant’s founders and a portion of its team on board reflects the company’s commitment to advancing AI-driven robotics. Joseph Quinlivan, Vice President of Amazon Fulfillment Technologies & Robotics, highlighted the significance of this move, stating, With some of the smartest minds, we will advance fundamental research, marrying our rich expertise to unlock new ways for AI and robots to assist our operations employees. Embedding Covariant’s AI technology into our existing robot fleet will make them more performant and create real-world value for our customers.

A Strategic Hiring Trend

This deal follows a similar pattern to Amazon’s hiring of AI startup Adept’s founders back in June, which also allowed Amazon to access new talent and technology without fully acquiring the startup. Such strategies have been referred to as “reverse acquihires,” a term coined by The Verge to describe how tech giants like Amazon, under increasing antitrust scrutiny, can effectively absorb talent and technology through hiring and licensing agreements instead of outright acquisitions. These moves enable Amazon to sidestep potential regulatory challenges while still gaining the benefits of innovative startups.

Covariant’s Future

Despite the transition of key personnel to Amazon, Covariant will continue its operations under the leadership of Ted Stinson, the company’s former COO, who has now taken on the role of CEO. Alongside Tianhao Zhang, Covariant’s new leadership remains committed to the company’s mission. In a statement, Covariant emphasized its dedication to delivering the Covariant Brain, its AI-powered robotic platform, to production environments across various global industries, including apparel, health and beauty, grocery, and pharmaceuticals.

Covariant’s continued focus on deploying its technology in diverse industries highlights the startup’s belief in the transformative potential of its AI models. With Amazon now leveraging its technology, Covariant's innovations are set to make a significant impact not only within Amazon’s operations but also across the broader market.

Conclusion

Amazon’s latest move to hire Covariant’s founders and license its technology underscores the company’s relentless pursuit of AI-driven innovation. As Amazon integrates Covariant’s advanced AI models into its robotic fleet, the retail giant is poised to further enhance the efficiency and performance of its operations. Meanwhile, Covariant’s ongoing commitment to delivering its AI solutions to a wide range of industries suggests that this partnership could have far-reaching implications for the future of robotics and AI in both warehousing and beyond.