Amazon continues to push forward with its autonomous agenda for the future by investing in a French warehouse robotics firm, Balyo. The partnership is in development for the next 7 years as part of a deal that could bolster sales for Balyo and the technology of self-driving forklifts.

Chief Executive of Balyo Fabien Bardinet says, “This agreement…represents an unprecedented opportunity for Balyo to grow its business and supports the soundness of our investments over the years to perfect our robotic solutions.”

Amazon thrives on warehouse management and usage. All of their goods are maintained and organized in thousand square foot warehouses that rely on heavy equipment. Amazon is continuously striving to find ways to cut cost and accelerate delivery, and self-driving forklifts could be the answer to that equation.

Presently, Amazon uses robots from Kiva Systems, a company it purchased in 2012 for $775 million. With the acquired partnership, Amazon will receive free stock warrants that signify 29 percent of Balyo’s capital. The full amount will be implemented if Amazon orders up to $346 million of Balyo products.

None of which should be a problem, considering the mega-retailer owns multiple warehouses full of inventory waiting to be shipped out. With the decline in their seasonal hiring numbers this previous year, it seems like the company will continue to institute autonomous equipment in their quest to slash costs and enhance efficiency.