Versions :<123456Live

iRobot Files Bankruptcy, Acquired by Picea

iRobot Files Bankruptcy, Acquired by Picea
Above: Roomba vacuums by iRobot displayed at Best Buy store in San Rafael, California, on Jan. 19, 2024. Image credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

The Spin

Narrative A

European regulators killed iRobot by blocking Amazon's acquisition, destroying hundreds of U.S. jobs while handing the consumer robotics market to China's Ecovacs and Roborock. Biden's FTC colluded with the EU to cripple a key American firm in the AI and robotics race against China. This regulatory overreach must end before more U.S. tech firms are sacrificed to foreign bureaucrats and short-sighted antitrust-ism.

Narrative B

iRobot's collapse stems from years of stagnant innovation and failure to compete with advanced Chinese rivals offering superior features at lower prices. While Roborock and Dreame introduced AI-powered arms and extendable legs, Roomba plateaued with overpriced models lacking wow factor. The company's designated pricing strategy backfired as Chinese competitors delivered better technology for less money.

Metaculus Prediction


Public Figures


The Controversies



Go Deeper


Articles on this story



© 2025 Improve the News Foundation. All rights reserved.Version 6.18.0

© 2025 Improve the News Foundation.

All rights reserved.

Version 6.18.0