Roomba maker iRobot files for bankruptcy, to go private after buyout

Roomba vacuum cleaner maker iRobot said on Sunday that it had filed for bankruptcy protection, and would go private after being acquired by Picea, its primary manufacturer. The company, which raised concerns about staying in business in March, filed for bankruptcy in the District of Delaware as it grapples with macroeconomic and tariff-related uncertainties.

iRobot faces competition from Chinese rivals such as Ecovacs Robotics, which offer advanced features at lower prices.

iRobot said it will continue operations with no anticipated disruption to its app functionality, customer programs, global partners, supply chain relationships, or ongoing product support.


The company, which was a former $1.4 billion buyout target of Amazon.com, listed its estimated assets and liabilities in the range of $100 million to $500 million, according to a court filing, with approximately 50,001 to 100,000 creditors.

The loss-making company was once valued at $3.56 billion in 2021, driven by pandemic-fuelled demand, but is now worth around $140 million, according to data compiled by LSEG.