Table of Contents
- Tech Giant on the Brink of Collapse
- iRobot's Legacy and Challenges
- What Would Happen to My Roomba if iRobot Closed Down?
A WELL-ESTABLISHED technology company renowned for its robot vacuum cleaners is facing a potential collapse.
The firm has been attempting to secure a buyer, but the search has come to a standstill.
iRobot is famous for its robot vacuum cleanersCredit: Getty
The company was founded back in 1990Credit: Getty
The struggling company has stated that discussions with the last interested party did not progress.
Based in Massachusetts, iRobot has been operating since 1990, primarily producing consumer robots such as the Roomba and autonomous mops.
Initially, the company developed military robots, and its technology was even utilized for search and rescue missions following the.
Executives had engaged in negotiations regarding a potential $1.4 billion acquisition.
However, in January of last year, it was reported that Amazon had withdrawn from the deal due to concerns that the acquisition would not receive regulatory approval in the EU.
Consequently, nearly a third of the company’s workforce was laid off—around 350 employees, including Chair and CEO Colin Angle.
In March, the firm cautioned in a filing that it had “significant doubt” about its ability to continue operations without securing a suitable buyer.
Currently, the last potential bidder has exited, as their offer was “significantly lower” than its stock price over the past few months, according to iRobot.
“We are not currently in advanced negotiations with any alternative parties regarding a potential sale or strategic transaction,” the company stated in its latest filing.
“Therefore, there is no guarantee that our exploration of strategic alternatives will lead to any transaction or outcome.”
Since the announcement, iRobot’s stock price has plummeted.
What Would Happen to My Roomba if iRobot Closed Down?
While the outlook for iRobot appears bleak at the moment, we are still not at a point where complete closure is imminent.
However, if the company were to shut down, questions arise regarding the continued functionality of the robots.
These devices rely heavily on an app, and some features also utilize cloud services.
Thus, there would be no software updates, and customer support for errors would be unavailable.
Some features may still operate, but functionalities such as scheduled cleaning could cease to work.
What would happen to my Roomba if iRobot went out of business?
If iRobot were to close, your Roomba may still function for a time, but it would not receive software updates or customer support. Features that rely on cloud services or app connectivity might stop working, including scheduled cleanings.
