# 6 River Systems talks Shopify acquisition; Gatik on autonomous vehicle development

- Show: [The Robot Report Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast)
- Published: 2020-06-24
- Length: 56m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2020-06-24-6-river-systems-talks-shopify-acquisition-gatik-on-autonomous-vehicle-developmen
- Listen: https://soundcloud.com/robot-report-podcast/episode-4-final

## Summary

Chris Cacioppo, co-founder of 6 River Systems, discusses the company's acquisition by Shopify for nearly $500 million, explaining how the deal supports their mission to democratize automation for small businesses through their Chuck mobile robots and cloud-based software. Gautam Narang, CEO and co-founder of Gatik, details his company's Level 4 autonomous vehicle strategy for middle-mile logistics, highlighting their partnership with Walmart and their decision to restrict vehicles to the rightmost lane to ensure safety and commercial viability. Both founders emphasize a problem-first approach, with 6 River focusing on user experience and remote deployment, while Gatik focuses on solving the driver shortage in retail supply chains through constrained autonomy.

## Chapters

- [0:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2020-06-24-6-river-systems-talks-shopify-acquisition-gatik-on-autonomous-vehicle-developmen#t=7) Introduction: Robot Report Podcast and Episode Overview
- [1:31](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2020-06-24-6-river-systems-talks-shopify-acquisition-gatik-on-autonomous-vehicle-developmen#t=91) Chris Cacioppo on 6 River Systems' founding and differentiation
- [3:39](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2020-06-24-6-river-systems-talks-shopify-acquisition-gatik-on-autonomous-vehicle-developmen#t=219) The Shopify acquisition and the Shopful fulfillment network
- [8:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2020-06-24-6-river-systems-talks-shopify-acquisition-gatik-on-autonomous-vehicle-developmen#t=508) Designing for safety and human-robot interaction with Chuck
- [11:36](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2020-06-24-6-river-systems-talks-shopify-acquisition-gatik-on-autonomous-vehicle-developmen#t=696) Remote deployment strategies and COVID-19 impact
- [23:59](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2020-06-24-6-river-systems-talks-shopify-acquisition-gatik-on-autonomous-vehicle-developmen#t=1439) Gautam Narang on Gatik's middle-mile logistics strategy
- [29:17](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2020-06-24-6-river-systems-talks-shopify-acquisition-gatik-on-autonomous-vehicle-developmen#t=1757) The Walmart partnership and right-lane driving constraints
- [35:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2020-06-24-6-river-systems-talks-shopify-acquisition-gatik-on-autonomous-vehicle-developmen#t=2106) Level 5 autonomy timelines and the investment landscape
- [47:33](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2020-06-24-6-river-systems-talks-shopify-acquisition-gatik-on-autonomous-vehicle-developmen#t=2853) Gatik's sensor stack and testing methodology

## Topics

- [Robotics & autonomy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/robotics-and-autonomy)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Fundraising & investors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/fundraising)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- 6 River Systems (company)
- Shopify (company)
- Chuck (product)
- Gatik (company)
- Walmart (company)
- Kiva Systems (company)
- Universal Robots (company)
- Boston Dynamics (company)
- ROS (other)
- Microsoft (company)
- Optimus Ride (company)
- Aurora (company)
- Waymo (company)
- Cruise (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Ep. 33 | From Autonomous Golf Carts to Semis: The Journey to the Self-Driving Truck](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2021-10-06-ep-33-from-autonomous-golf-carts-to-semis-the-journey-to-the-self-driving-truck) (Moore's Lobby)
- [HIBT Lab! Nuro: Dave Ferguson](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-01-19-hibt-lab-nuro-dave-ferguson) (How I Built This)
- [Garrett McCurrach and Canon Reeves (Co-Founders, Pipedream Labs)](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/just-gonna-send-it/2025-12-17-garrett-mccurrach-and-canon-reeves-co-founders-pipedream-labs) (Just Gonna Send It)
- [HIBT Lab! Cruise: Kyle Vogt](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-10-27-hibt-lab-cruise-kyle-vogt) (How I Built This)
- [The Yard Automation Revolution: Inside Outrider With Ira Renfrew](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2024-11-07-the-yard-automation-revolution-inside-outrider-with-ira-renfrew) (Over the Air)

## Citing this page

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