Insider Brief
- Amazon has acquired humanoid robotics startup Fauna, bringing its team and Sprout robot platform into its broader robotics and devices efforts.
- Sprout is a compact humanoid robot designed for use around people, with early deployments across research, education and service-related applications.
- Amazon said Fauna will continue operating as “Fauna, an Amazon company” as it explores personal robotics, building on its existing robotics fleet and consumer technology experience.
Amazon has acquired New York City–based humanoid robotics startup Fauna Robotics, bringing its team and early-stage platform into the company’s broader robotics and devices efforts, Amazon confirmed. Details of the deal were not disclosed.
“We are excited about Fauna’s vision to build capable, safe, and fun robots for everyone,” an Amazon spokesperson told AI Insider. “Together with Amazon’s robotics expertise and decades of experience earning customer trust in the home through our retail and devices businesses, we’re looking forward to inventing new ways to make our customers’ lives better and easier.”
Fauna is the maker of Sprout, a compact humanoid robot that began shipping in early 2026 as part of a Creator Edition development kit. According to the company, the system is designed to operate safely in environments shared with people and to serve as a platform for embodied AI applications outside traditional industrial settings.
Sprout is aimed at developers, researchers and commercial partners exploring use cases in areas such as retail, education and service environments, according to Fauna. Early users have included organizations such as Disney and academic institutions including New York University and the University of California San Diego, the company said in January when it emerged from stealth.
The robot is smaller and lighter than most humanoid systems, standing about 3.5 feet tall and weighing roughly 50 pounds. Fauna designed the platform with safety as a primary constraint, using a soft exterior, compliant motor control and torque limits to reduce risk in close-contact environments.
Fauna’s employees, including its two founders, will join Amazon in New York City and the company will continue operating as “Fauna, an Amazon company.” Amazon said Fauna will maintain its existing efforts to bring its humanoid robot platform to developers and research partners.
Amazon said the deal reflects a measured approach to personal robotics, building on its existing robotics footprint and experience in consumer devices. Amazon operates one of the largest fleets of robots globally and has been expanding its work in automation across logistics and home environments.
Image credit: Fauna Robotics
