Roomba Vacuum Maker Seeks Bankruptcy

 

Chinese robot vacuums often surpass Roomba by integrating advanced tech like LiDAR for precise mapping, AI for obstacle avoidance (even cords!), and innovative features such as robotic arms to clear small items, plus powerful mopping with self-cleaning stations, often at competitive prices, reflecting faster innovation cycles in China's tech sector. While Roomba pioneered the category, Chinese brands like Roborock and Dreame are leading with smarter navigation and multi-functionality, offering better value and handling messy real-world homes more effectively. Financially this ends in a disaster:

 

“The company that makes Roomba robotic vacuums declared bankruptcy Sunday but said its devices will continue to function normally while the company restructures.

 

Massachusetts-based iRobot has struggled financially for years, beset by foreign competition that made cheaper and, in the opinion of some buyers, technologically superior autonomous vacuums.

 

When a proposed sale to Amazon.com fell through in 2024 because of regulatory concerns, the company's share price plummeted.

 

iRobot signaled in recent corporate filings that a bankruptcy could be imminent. It owes $352 million to Picea, its primary contract manufacturer which operates out of China and Vietnam. Nearly $91 million of that debt is past due, according to iRobot.

 

Outlining its restructuring plan Sunday, iRobot said that Picea will receive 100% of the equity interest in iRobot, which the company said will allow it to continue operating.

 

Founded in 1990, iRobot's autonomous vacuum cleaners helped pioneer robotics for consumers. Many recent versions of the Roomba have features that are controlled through the brand's app.

 

Some owners worry that, similar to other products tied to the internet, their Roombas could become useless if the company went under. iRobot said it anticipates no disruptions to its product support or app functionality.” [1]

 

1. Roomba Vacuum Maker Seeks Bankruptcy. Keilman, John.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 15 Dec 2025: B2.