If door cameras don’t deter porch pirates, maybe a giant PIN code safe will. He Hyve “delivery capsule” asks drivers to leave packages in a container secured to the door frame. Even if the pirates manage to take the capsule, the safe will scream at them until they let it go. Hyve isn’t just another attempt to revolutionize the home delivery market. It’s a good way to reveal the many problems with today’s online retail environment.
Startup Hyve showed off its first solar-powered yard-based lockbox for deliveries during CES 2025. It can connect to other Matter-enabled smart security systems, although the delivery pod is relatively low-tech compared to door cameras Ring type. There’s a PIN code and an app-activated lock on the outside, but the pod itself is tethered to a quarter-inch carbon fiber cable that screws to the inside of the front door frame. You might be able to get through it with industrial-sized bolt cutters, but there’s added security with a built-in accelerometer. If you start moving it, the capsule makes a high-pitched squeak. It then sends an alert to the homeowner or any connected neighbors via an app.
You can give any number of users Bluetooth or WiFi access to the pod so they can retrieve packets. Hyve pods would also need to rely on drivers to do their part. You can leave your PIN and delivery instructions with your online order, but drivers are not guaranteed to follow those instructions. At least the module includes a window that allows drivers to take a photo of delivered packages.
Hyve co-founder Melissa Kieling told Gizmodo that the startup is currently finalizing a deal with a delivery company to allow drivers to access the pods without needing the owners’ PIN codes. The other end of these partnerships is the possibility that Amazon or other online retailers may not need individual boxes for each order. However, that would also require companies to modify their distribution processes.
But if Hyve becomes popular, it may eventually work with returns. The device could ping nearby drivers to inform them of a returned package instead of businesses requiring customers to drop it off.
Hyve will ship in June of this year. It starts at $300 and the app requires an annual subscription fee.