9 months ago

iRobot Files for Bankruptcy, Ending Roomba Era

iRobot Files for Bankruptcy, Ending Roomba Era
What is Roomba’s legacy after bankruptcy? · theweek.com

Roomba was a popular robot vacuum cleaner made by iRobot.

It was created by MIT professors and became very successful.

However, iRobot recently filed for bankruptcy.

This happened because other companies made cheaper vacuums, and iRobot had to pay a lot in tariffs.

Amazon tried to buy iRobot but couldn't because of rules from European regulators.

Even though iRobot is gone, the company that bought it will keep supporting Roomba vacuums.

Many people remember Roomba fondly, even though newer models had extra features that didn't always help.

Key facts

Company
iRobot
Product
Roomba
Bankruptcy Filing
2024
Unpaid Tariffs
$3.4 million
Acquirer
Picea Robotics
Founding Year
1990
First Roomba Launch
2002
Original Price
$200

Quotes

Colin Angle

Co-founder and former CEO of iRobot

“This is nothing short of a tragedy for consumers, the robotics industry, and America's innovation economy.”
CNBC TV 18

Sources

Related news