Amazon Announces a New $1 Billion Fund

In late April, Amazon announced a new $1 billion fund and invested in five innovative companies in one fell swoop, called Amazon Industrial Innovation Fund, which focuses on new technology development in warehousing, supply chain and logistics that will be used to optimize supply chain management , improve delivery speed These new technologies will be used to optimize supply chain management, improve delivery speed, and thereby enhance the customer experience.

This is not the first time Amazon set up a fund, as part of Amazon’s investment, as early as 2015 Amazon had set up a $200 million Alexa Fund, to voice recognition and related technology investment to promote the innovation of voice technology. 2020 Amazon set up a $2 billion Climate Pledge Fund, investment areas covering The fund will invest in electric vehicles and climate technologies.

The establishment of the Amazon Industrial Innovation Fund is undoubtedly an attempt to solve the problem of how to make warehousing and logistics safer, more convenient and efficient with the explosive growth of the distribution business.

Some of Amazon’s previous actions have served as a trendsetter for the market. For example, Amazon’s $775 million acquisition of warehouse robotics company Kiva System in 2012 not only showed major e-commerce companies the importance of robots for warehouse management, but also allowed entrepreneurs to see the trend in this area, with warehouse robotics startups springing up.

Amazon then felt the importance of AMR (Autonomous Mobile Robot) and acquired Canvas Technology in 2019. Today these warehouse robots named Ernie, Bert, Scooter, and Kermit are a busy scene.

While the new fund’s focus areas are warehousing, supply chain and logistics, our vision should not be limited to this.