What happens to Roombas now that the company has declared bankruptcy?
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Roomba maker iRobot filed for bankruptcy and will go private after being acquired by its Chinese supplier Picea Robotics.Founded 35 years ago, the Massachusetts company pioneered the development of home vacuum robots and grew to become one of the most recognizable American consumer brands.Over the years, it lost ground to Chinese competitors with less-expensive products.
This year, the company was clobbered by President Trump’s tariffs.At its peak during the pandemic, iRobot was valued at $3 billion.The bankruptcy filing, which happened on Sunday, has raised fear among Roomba users who are worried about “bricking,” which is when a device stops working or is rendered useless due to a lack of software updates.The company has tried assuaging the fears, saying that it will continue operations with no anticipated disruption to its app functionality, customer programs or product support.The majority of iRobot products sold in the U.S.
are manufactured in Vietnam, which was hit with a 46% tariff, eroding profits and competitiveness of the company.The tariffs increased iRobot’s costs by $23 million in 2025, according to its court filings.In 2024, iRobot’s revenue stood at $681 million, about 24% lower than the previous year.
The company owed hundreds of millions in debt and long-term loans.Once the court-supervised transaction is complete, iRobot will become a private company owned by contract manufacturer Picea Robotics.Today, nearly 70% of the global smart vacuum robot market is dominated by Chinese brands, according to IDC, with Roborock and Ecovacs leading the charge.The sale of a famous household brand to a Chinese competitor has prompted complaints from Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and politicians, citing the case as a failure of antitrust policy.
Amazon originally planned to acquire iRobot for $1.4 billion, but in early 2024, it terminated the merger after scrutiny fr...