Amazon is currently set to acquire Roomba maker iRobot in a $1.7 billion deal.
Amazon Is Set to Acquire Roomba Maker iRobot In A $1.7 Billion Deal
Tech giants, amazon has now signed a deal with iRobot which is the maker of Roomba robot vacuum cleaners in a bid to acquire the company for a whopping $1.7 billion. Amazon on Friday announced the agreement saying that it will purchase iRobot in an all-cash transaction for $61 per share.
“Over many years, the iRobot team has proven its ability to reinvent how people clean with products that are incredibly practical and inventive — from cleaning when and where customers want while avoiding common obstacles in the home, to automatically emptying the collection bin,” senior vice president of Amazon devices, Dave Limp said in a statement.
CEO of iRobot, Colin Angle will stay on in his position as CEO of the company. He however said in a statement that he “cannot think of a better place for our team to continue our mission.”
Robot Vacuum Cleaner No Longer In the Forefront of Cutting-Edge Tech
A robot vacuum cleaner is something that is always considered a status symbol among homeowners that are tech savvy, but it is however not at the forefront of cutting-edge tech anymore. Roomba currently is 20 years old thus making iRobot one of the pioneers in the home robot front. And ever since 2007, Roomba has been compatible with Alexa, amazon’s virtual assistant. The company in May introduced iRobot OS which is a revamped operating system.
Amazon Already Has an Impressive Lineup of Smarthome Devices
The inclusiveness of the iRobot amazons device portfolio puts it in a strong position in the smart home industry. Amazon already has an impressive lineup and it includes ring video doorbells and home security products as well as Alexa-enabled Echo speakers and displays. One of Amazon’s strongest rivals in the market is Google, with its Nest smart product line that is inclusive of displays, speakers, smoke detectors, video doorbells, and thermostats.
How Amazon Plans To integrate iRobot With the Rest of the Company
In regards to how the tech company plans on integrating iRobot with the rest of the company, amazon did not offer many details on that front. Amazon already has dabbled in home robots with its limited release of Astro which is a home hub on wheels in the early parts of this year.
