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iRobot, the company often credited for putting robot vacuums on the map, has filed for bankruptcy in the United States. Sold under the brand name "Roomba", these devices use sensors, brushes, and suction to clean floors with minimal – if any – intervention from the homeowner.
These clever gadgets could be set up on a schedule, controlled from an app, or commanded to clean with a quick order to a voice assistant like Amazon's Alexa.
With iRobot in financial difficulty, what happens to any Roomba devices in your home? Fortunately, if you own one of these handy bots from iRobot, there's no immediate reason to panic.
In a public statement, a spokesperson for iRobot said: "During the Chapter 11 process, iRobot will continue operating in the ordinary course with no anticipated disruption to its app functionality, customer programs, global partners, supply chain relationships, or ongoing product support."
As a result of the filing, iRobot will be bought out by its Chinese manufacturer and supplier, Picea Robotics. For now, the company is set to run business as usual, and it appears this way as well, as its online site is also still up and running its online Christmas sale.
However, the bankruptcy filing has been a long time coming.
iRobot was almost acquired by Amazon in January of last year
| IROBOT PRESS OFFICEThis follows the collapse of a planned takeover from Amazon after it faced tough opposition from EU competition regulators in January of last year. The retailer had agreed a proposed $1.7 billion (£1.3 billion) acquisition of iRobot in August 2022, but the European Commission said the deal could harm competition for iRobot’s rivals on Amazon’s online marketplace, particularly in France, Germany, Italy and Spain.
The investigation raised concerns that Amazon could reduce the visibility of competitor products on its marketplace if the deal were finalised.
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Despite the filing, Gary Cohen, chief executive of iRobot is hopeful about the company's future.
He said in a statement: “Today’s announcement marks a pivotal milestone in securing iRobot’s long-term future. The transaction will strengthen our financial position and will help deliver continuity for our consumers, customers and partners.
“Together, we will work to continue advancing the industry-leading Roomba robots and smart home technologies that have defined the iRobot brand for more than three decades. By combining iRobot’s innovation, consumer-driven design, and research and development with Picea’s history of innovation, manufacturing and technical expertise, we believe iRobot will be well equipped to shape the next era of smart home robotics.”
iRobot will continue to operate business as usual after its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in the US
| IROBOT PRESS OFFICEIn addition to the failed Amazon deal, iRobot has been knocked by competition from cheaper Chinese rivals, as well as surging US tariffs, which have seen import levies increased to 46% on goods from Vietnam, where most of its products are made for the US.
iRobot first launched its first Roomba robot vacuum in 2002 and has since gone on to sell millions of robots worldwide.
Looking for an alternative to Roomba?
If you've had your eyes on a robot vacuum for a while, there are several other popular brands selling premium picks on sale during the Christmas season.
Brands like Eufy and Roborock have recently marked down their bots — which have been so highly sought-after that they've even made our best robot vacuums in the UK list.
Get £320 off the Roborock QV 35S robot vacuum cleaner
The QV 35S redefines hands-free home cleaning with a HyperForce suction, dual anti-tangle brushes, and spinning, liftable mops to help give you spotless floors. It's an all-in-one dock that also handles auto-emptying, mop washing, drying, and water refills, delivering up to seven weeks of worry-free cleaning with minimal intervention.
Roborock QV 35S
$699
$379
Save £230 on the Eufy Clean X8 Pro robot vacuum cleaner
Get £230 off your purchase when you use code WS24T2276 at checkout. You can also make your purchase even more affordable when you use either Klarna or PayPal to divide up the cost in three interest-free payments
Eufy Clean X8 Pro
$549
$319
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