iRobot
iRobot was a Home Robotics company founded in 1990 and based in Bedford, Massachusetts, United States. It was acquired by Shenzhen Picea Robotics in 2026.
iRobot Corporation is the consumer robotics pioneer best known for the Roomba, the category-defining robotic vacuum cleaner. Founded in 1990 by MIT roboticists Colin Angle, Helen Greiner, and Rodney Brooks, iRobot initially built defense and research robots (including the PackBot) before spinning those businesses out and focusing exclusively on home robots. The Roomba launched in 2002 and the Braava robotic mop followed a decade later.
iRobot has had a turbulent few years. Amazon announced a USD 1.7B acquisition in August 2022, but the deal was terminated on January 29, 2024 after the European Commission signaled it would not clear the transaction. Days later, co-founder Colin Angle stepped down as CEO and the company cut roughly 31% of its workforce (around 350 roles). Revenue continued to decline through 2024 and 2025 under CEO Gary Cohen. On December 14, 2025 iRobot filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Delaware. The court confirmed a prepackaged plan on January 22, 2026, and on January 23, 2026 Shenzhen PICEA Robotics completed its acquisition of 100% of iRobot's equity — emerging iRobot from bankruptcy as a privately held Picea U.S. subsidiary. IRBT shares were delisted from Nasdaq upon closing. iRobot continues to sell Roomba and Braava products globally and remains headquartered in Bedford, Massachusetts.
iRobot's trajectory is the cautionary tale of the home robotics sector: the company that invented mass-market consumer robots is being absorbed by its Chinese manufacturing partner after Western antitrust blocked the Amazon lifeline, reshaping the competitive landscape for Matic, Roborock, and Ecovacs.