Amazon has acquired Fauna Robotics, a startup developing humanoid robots designed for everyday environments, according to CNBC’s sources. The deal marks a renewed push by the company into consumer-facing robotics as it looks to extend its automation expertise beyond warehouses and into homes and social settings.
Fauna Robotics, founded in 2024 by former Meta and Google engineers, is best known for its humanoid robot Sprout. The robot, priced at $50,000, stands 3 feet 6 inches tall and is designed to be approachable and human-friendly, with applications spanning both consumer and enterprise use cases. Early adopters include organizations such as Disney and Boston Dynamics, which have explored the platform for robotics development and interaction scenarios.
The acquisition brings Fauna’s roughly 50 employees into Amazon, where the team will continue operating under the Fauna Robotics name. The move aligns with Amazon’s broader strategy of investing in robotics innovation, building on more than a decade of experience in warehouse automation following its acquisition of Kiva Systems in 2012.
Amazon has recently accelerated its robotics investments through mergers and acquisitions. The company also acquired Rivr, a Swiss robotics startup focused on last-mile delivery automation, signaling a broader effort to deploy robotics across multiple aspects of its operations and customer experience.
Despite previous attempts to enter the home robotics market, including the launch of its Astro robot in 2021, Amazon has yet to achieve widespread adoption in consumer robotics. The Fauna acquisition represents a strategic step toward developing more advanced, human-centric robots that can interact safely and effectively in everyday environments.
The deal also positions Amazon in an increasingly competitive landscape of humanoid robotics. Companies such as Tesla, Figure AI, Apptronik, Agility Robotics, and Unitree are advancing similar technologies, aiming to scale production and deploy humanoid robots across industrial and consumer settings.
