Amazon's ZeroOne Team Targets New Product Categories

Amazon has launched a new team called ZeroOne, led by Xbox co-creator and former Microsoft executive J Allard, with a mission to invent breakthrough consumer products and create entirely new product categories. The team operates in Seattle, San Francisco, and Sunnyvale, and is actively recruiting for roles focused on developing innovative hardware and software, including smart home devices using computer vision. Allard, who joined Amazon in late 2024, reports to Devices & Services chief Panos Panay and brings significant product development experience. While Amazon has not disclosed specific product plans, job postings indicate a culture of rapid experimentation. The initiative comes after recent layoffs in Amazon’s devices division, but the company continues to invest in new technologies, including the AI-enhanced Alexa Plus. ZeroOne aims to expand Amazon’s presence in consumer hardware, reflecting the company’s ambition to enter new product territories despite past mixed results.