iRobot

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American consumer robotics company best known for its Roomba robot vacuum cleaners.

Last updated October 17, 2026

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Overview

iRobot is an American robotics company founded in 1990 by Rodney Brooks, Colin Angle, and Helen Greiner, three researchers associated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. The company began by developing robots for research, space exploration, military applications, and hazardous environments before establishing a large consumer business around autonomous home-cleaning products. Its best-known product is Roomba, a family of robotic vacuum cleaners first introduced in 2002. Roomba helped move domestic service robots from specialist demonstrations into mainstream household appliances. The product line evolved from relatively simple battery-powered floor cleaners into connected devices with mapping, app control, room recognition, automatic dirt disposal, object identification, voice-assistant integration, and combined vacuuming and mopping functions. By 2020, the company reported that it had sold more than 30 million home robots. iRobot also developed Braava floor-mopping robots, originally based on technology from Evolution Robotics and its Mint product line. Other consumer products included the educational Create platform, Root coding robots, Scooba floor washers, pool-cleaning robots, gutter-cleaning robots, and experimental or discontinued products such as Terra robotic lawn mowers. The company’s earlier defense and security portfolio included PackBot, SUGV, Warrior, Negotiator, and other ground, underwater, and reconnaissance systems. PackBot robots were used for bomb disposal and reconnaissance by the U.S. military and in hazardous-response operations, including work connected with the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. iRobot sold this business in 2016 to concentrate more strongly on consumer products. The company expanded through acquisitions and partnerships. In 2012 it acquired Evolution Robotics, adding floor-mopping technology, and in 2019 it acquired Root Robotics, an educational robotics company. In 2021 it acquired Swiss air-purifier manufacturer Aeris Cleantec AG and subsequently marketed Aeris-designed air purifiers. In 2016, iRobot sold its defense business to Arlington Capital Partners; that operation later became part of Teledyne FLIR. Amazon announced a proposed acquisition of iRobot in August 2022. The transaction was initially valued at approximately $1.7 billion, but the price was later reduced after iRobot raised additional debt. Competition authorities in the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union examined the deal, with regulators considering both competition in robot vacuums and the implications of combining Amazon’s marketplace position with data generated by household robots. Amazon and iRobot abandoned the transaction in January 2024. Following the termination, iRobot announced substantial workforce reductions and Colin Angle left the chief executive role; Gary Cohen became chief executive in May 2024. The supplied reference material reports that iRobot filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in December 2025 and entered a restructuring arrangement involving Shenzhen Picea Robotics and Santrum Hong Kong. Because the material does not establish the outcome of that process beyond the reported filing and proposed transaction, the company’s present ownership and operating status remain uncertain in this dossier.

History

iRobot was established in 1990 by Rodney Brooks, Colin Angle, and Helen Greiner after their work at MIT’s Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. The company was initially incorporated in California as IS Robotics and later reincorporated in Massachusetts. Its early work covered experimental robots for research, space exploration, defense, and hazardous environments rather than a single consumer category. A DARPA research contract in 1998 contributed to the development of PackBot, a remotely operated and semi-autonomous robot used for reconnaissance, explosive-ordnance disposal, and other dangerous missions. PackBot became one of iRobot’s most significant non-consumer platforms, seeing use with the U.S. military in Iraq and Afghanistan and in emergency-response contexts. Other defense projects included the SUGV, Warrior, Negotiator, and underwater systems. An iRobot Seaglider also gathered information about underwater oil following the Deepwater Horizon spill, while PackBot robots were used in data-gathering work at Fukushima Daiichi. The company’s consumer transformation began with Roomba, unveiled in September 2002. The compact autonomous vacuum cleaner reached one million units sold by 2004 and made iRobot a prominent name in domestic robotics. In 2005 the company won a patent-infringement case involving an unauthorized Roomba clone and began trading on NASDAQ under IRBT. iRobot broadened its household portfolio with products such as Scooba floor washers, Braava moppers, Verro and Mirra pool-cleaning robots, Looj gutter-cleaning robots, and Dirt Dog workshop cleaners. In 2012 iRobot acquired Evolution Robotics, bringing the Mint floor-mopping technology into its portfolio. Mint was subsequently developed and sold under the Braava name. Roomba technology advanced through camera-based visual simultaneous localization and mapping, Wi-Fi connectivity, room mapping, automatic dirt disposal, and cloud-connected software. The Roomba 980, introduced in 2015, was an important step toward mapped and app-controlled cleaning. The Roomba i7 and i7+ in 2018 expanded saved floor plans and automatic dirt disposal, while the S9+ introduced a different body shape and stronger cleaning capabilities. The company acquired Root Robotics in 2019, adding an education-focused coding platform, and acquired Aeris Cleantec AG in 2021. In 2022 iRobot introduced iRobot OS as a software platform intended to improve household understanding, object recognition, voice interaction, and personalized cleaning behavior. The Roomba Combo, launched that year, combined vacuuming and mopping and could lift its mop when moving onto carpet. Strategically, iRobot reduced its exposure to defense robotics. It sold the Defense & Security unit in 2016 to Arlington Capital Partners; the resulting business later became part of Teledyne FLIR. The company also postponed its Terra robotic lawn-mower program in 2020 and the Root product line was later acquired by SAM Labs in 2024. Amazon announced plans to acquire iRobot in August 2022. Regulators examined the deal, including the U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s requests for information, the United Kingdom’s competition review, and the European Commission’s formal investigation. Concerns included Amazon’s ability to disadvantage competing robot-vacuum sellers and the implications of access to household data such as floor plans. The offer was reduced after iRobot raised new debt, and the transaction was terminated in January 2024. iRobot paid a reverse termination fee, reduced its workforce, and experienced a chief-executive transition from Colin Angle to Gary Cohen. The supplied reference material states that iRobot filed for Chapter 11 protection in December 2025 under a restructuring support agreement involving Shenzhen Picea Robotics, described as a major manufacturing partner, and Santrum Hong Kong. The final ownership and post-bankruptcy operating structure are not established by the available material.

2025
Chapter 11 filing reported
[1]iRoboten.wikipedia.org
The supplied reference reports a Chapter 11 filing and proposed restructuring transaction.
2024
Amazon transaction terminated
[1]iRoboten.wikipedia.org
Amazon and iRobot ended their proposed merger following regulatory scrutiny.
2022
iRobot OS announced
[1]iRoboten.wikipedia.org
The company introduced a software platform for improved personalization, recognition, and voice interaction.
2016
Defense business sold
[1]iRoboten.wikipedia.org
iRobot divested its defense and security unit to focus on consumer robotics.
2012
Evolution Robotics acquired
[1]iRoboten.wikipedia.org
The deal brought Mint floor-mopping technology into iRobot’s portfolio.
2005
NASDAQ listing
[1]iRoboten.wikipedia.org
iRobot began trading publicly under the symbol IRBT.
2002
Roomba introduced
[1]iRoboten.wikipedia.org
iRobot unveiled its first flagship autonomous home vacuum cleaner.
1998
DARPA contract supports PackBot development
[1]iRoboten.wikipedia.org
Defense research work helped produce PackBot, a platform for reconnaissance and hazardous missions.
1990
Company founded
[1]iRoboten.wikipedia.org
Rodney Brooks, Colin Angle, and Helen Greiner founded the company after working at MIT’s Artificial Intelligence Laboratory.

Products and positioning

Technology-led, connected home-cleaning robotics positioned from mainstream to premium household-appliance segments, emphasizing autonomous navigation, convenience, mapping, software, and cleaning performance.

Robot vacuum cleaner · 2002
Roomba
Roomba is iRobot’s principal robotic-vacuum family, first released in 2002. Models use rechargeable batteries and may return automatically to docking stations. Later generations added visual mapping, Wi-Fi and app control, saved floor plans, carpet-specific cleaning behavior, automatic dirt disposal, object recognition, and integration with iRobot OS. The Roomba Combo variants add mopping and can raise the mop when crossing carpet.
Floor-mopping robot · 2013
Braava
Braava is iRobot’s hard-floor mopping range. It supports damp and dry cleaning with disposable or microfiber cloths. The line developed from Evolution Robotics’ Mint products after iRobot acquired that company in 2012, with navigation technologies designed to guide the robot through defined floor areas.
Educational and hobby robot · 2007
Create
Create is a programmable robot platform released in 2007 for experimentation and education. Users can add sensors, grippers, computers, wireless connections, and other hardware, making it a development platform rather than a finished household appliance.
Educational coding robot · 2019
Root
Root is an educational robot designed to teach children coding through tablet or smartphone programming. iRobot acquired Root Robotics in 2019. The reference material states that the Root product line was acquired by SAM Labs in 2024.
Defense and security robot · 1998
PackBot
PackBot is a family of remotely operated and semi-autonomous robots for reconnaissance, explosive-ordnance disposal, situational awareness, and hazardous-response work. The platform was developed with support from defense research and was deployed by the U.S. military and in disaster-response environments. iRobot sold its defense business in 2016.
Floor-washing robot · 2005
Scooba
Scooba was a floor-washing robot for hard surfaces. Early versions used a specialized non-bleach solution or vinegar, while later models could use water. iRobot discontinued the line in favor of Braava mopping products.
Robotic lawn mower · 2019
Terra
Terra was a planned robotic lawn mower using wireless localization, mapping, boundary instructions, and a docking station. It entered a beta program in Germany and the United States, but the program was indefinitely postponed in 2020.

Controversies

2021
iRobot reports Roomba software-update problems
iRobot confirmed that a recently released software update caused problems for some Roomba i7 and s9 robots and said it was working on a patch expected in the coming weeks.
Source
2019
SharkNinja filed a patent non-infringement lawsuit against iRobot
SharkNinja Operating LLC filed a complaint against iRobot in Delaware seeking a ruling that the Shark IQ Robot does not infringe certain iRobot patents. SharkNinja said it filed in response to an iRobot letter accusing it of infringement.
Source

2025
Bankruptcy restructuring and proposed acquisitionM&A
Background
The supplied reference reports that iRobot sought Chapter 11 protection while facing financial and strategic pressure.
Action taken
iRobot reportedly entered a restructuring support agreement involving Shenzhen Picea Robotics and Santrum Hong Kong.
Aftermath
The available material does not establish the final court-approved ownership or the company’s post-restructuring operating status.
Source
2022
Proposed sale to AmazonM&A
Background
Amazon sought to acquire iRobot amid increasing interest in connected-home devices and robotic cleaning.
Action taken
Amazon announced a proposed acquisition initially valued at approximately $1.7 billion; the offer was later reduced after iRobot raised new debt.
Aftermath
The deal was terminated in January 2024 following regulatory scrutiny. The transaction’s termination involved a reported $94 million reverse breakup fee, workforce reductions, and the departure of Colin Angle.
Proposed acquisition value. $1.7 billion → $1.42 billion (2022-2023)
Source
2016
Exit from defense and security roboticsStrategy
Background
iRobot operated both consumer and defense robotics businesses but increasingly emphasized household products.
Action taken
The company sold its Defense & Security unit to Arlington Capital Partners.
Aftermath
The divested operation became Endeavor Robotics and later part of Teledyne FLIR, while iRobot concentrated on consumer robotics.
Source

Recent events

2025
iRobot files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection[1]iRoboten.wikipedia.org
Bankruptcy · M&A
The supplied reference reports that iRobot sought bankruptcy protection under Chapter 11 while pursuing a restructuring arrangement involving Shenzhen Picea Robotics and Santrum Hong Kong.
2025
iRobot agrees to a strategic restructuring transaction supported by Picea Robotics[5]iRobot agrees to a strategic restructuring transaction supported by Picea Roboticsirobot-jp.com
Bankruptcy · M&A
iRobot announced a Chapter 11 process and a restructuring support agreement under which Picea, described as a secured creditor and major supplier, would acquire all of the company’s equity and support continued operations.
2024
Amazon and iRobot terminate proposed merger[1]iRoboten.wikipedia.org
M&A · Regulation · Leadership change
The companies abandoned the transaction amid opposition and scrutiny from U.S. and European competition regulators.
2024
iRobot reports leadership transition and workforce reductions[1]iRoboten.wikipedia.org
Leadership change
After the Amazon transaction ended, Colin Angle departed as chief executive and Gary Cohen was appointed CEO; the company also announced significant layoffs.
2024
Amazon abandons its proposed acquisition of iRobot[6]Amazon abandons its proposed acquisition of iRobotjp.reuters.com
M&A · Regulation
Amazon’s proposed acquisition was abandoned after competition concerns and the lack of necessary European regulatory approval made completion impractical.
2023
European Commission investigates Amazon’s proposed iRobot acquisition[1]iRoboten.wikipedia.org
M&A · Regulation
The European Commission opened a formal investigation over possible effects on competition in robot vacuums and Amazon’s online-marketplace position.
2022
Amazon announces proposed acquisition of iRobot[1]iRoboten.wikipedia.org
M&A · Regulation
Amazon announced a proposed acquisition initially valued at approximately $1.7 billion, subject to regulatory review.
2021
iRobot acquires Aeris Cleantec[1]iRoboten.wikipedia.org
M&A
iRobot acquired the Swiss air-purifier manufacturer Aeris Cleantec AG and later sold Aeris-designed products through its brand.
2019
iRobot acquires Root Robotics[1]iRoboten.wikipedia.org
M&A
The acquisition expanded iRobot’s educational robotics activities through the Root coding-robot platform.
2016
iRobot sells its defense and security business[1]iRoboten.wikipedia.org
M&A
iRobot sold its defense and security unit to Arlington Capital Partners as part of a strategy to focus more heavily on consumer robotics.

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