Author: Dave Smith
Amazon has just announced that it is acquiring Roomba robot vacuum makers iRobot for $1.7 billion. This is a massive move for Amazon, and it’s clear that they’re planning to make big waves in the robotics industry.
iRobot is the leading manufacturer of robots for the home. With this acquisition, Amazon is poised to become a top player in the robotics market. It’s clear that they’re planning to make a big push into the consumer robotics space, and we expect to see some exciting new products from them shortly.
The developer of Roomba robot vacuum cleaners, iRobot, has agreed to sell its business to Amazon for $1.7 billion. The world’s largest online retailer made the deal official on Friday, announcing that it would pay $61 per share in cash to acquire iRobot.
Amazon Acquisition of iRobot
The makers of Roomba robot vacuums, iRobot, and Amazon signed a purchase agreement. The agreement is valued at over $1.7 billion, and Amazon will buy iRobot for $61 per share in an all-cash deal. They will be adding significantly to Amazon’s enormous selection of smart home technology devices.
Amazon’s stock price fell 1.3 percent to $140.67 Friday morning as part of a general market decline in response to a bigger and more powerful July jobs report.
On the other hand, IRobot’s stock price increased by more than 19 percent to $59.50 after the market opened.
After the transaction is completed, Colin Angle will continue to lead iRobot, the business announced in a press release.
Amazon’s objectives for iRobot are not explicitly stated, but there are obvious connections to its other smart home products. Last year, Amazon unveiled the $999 Astro smart home robot. The Verge Deputy Editor Dan Seifert referred to it as “the love child between a Roomba and an Echo Show smart display.”
The long-rumored home helper robot can navigate through a house using voice commands, map out floor plans, and even identify people. It has similar capabilities to an Alexa-enabled device, including playing music, answering queries, and providing weather information.
iRobot’s most recent operating system may not be attached to an Alexa on wheels. Still, it is just as ambitious, aiming to improve house understanding through AI and smart features before expanding to other areas of the smart home.
A contemporary smart house provides Amazon with significant data thanks to the integration of Roomba, Alexa, Ring doorbells, and other smart home technologies.
How big is this for Amazon?
For a long time, the iRobot team has demonstrated its capacity to change how people clean with useful and innovative products. From cleaning when and where consumers want while avoiding frequent impediments in the home, to autonomously emptying the collecting container.
iRobot is one of the industry pioneers in the home robot market, thanks to Roomba, which is already 20 years old.
Since 2017, Roomba and Alexa by Amazon have worked together. Additionally, the business unveiled its updated operating system iRobot OS in May.
This is a big win for Amazon. With the iRobot acquisition, Amazon is expected to be one of the leading robot vacuum makers in the world.
iRobot is well-known for its Roomba robot vacuum, which has been an enormous success. They’ve sold over 25 million of them. So Amazon is getting a lot of expertise and technology with this acquisition.
Besides that, iRobot has been working on other types of robots too. Therefore, Amazon could very well enter the robotics market with this acquisition.
What This Means for the Future of Home Cleaning
So what does this mean for the future of home cleaning? Well, Amazon is betting big on the robotics market. Moreover, with iRobot’s expertise in vacuum cleaners, it’s poised to make a big splash in this category.
This could mean significant changes in the way we clean our homes in the future.
With Amazon’s resources behind it, iRobot will likely come out with even more innovative products that will make cleaning easier and faster than ever. So keep an eye out for new and improved robot vacuums from iRobot in the coming years!
Conclusion
This was an exciting acquisition for both Amazon and iRobot. Amazon gets a well-known robotics brand with a large customer base, and iRobot can focus on continuing to make innovative robots that improve people’s lives. We’re looking forward to seeing what comes next from this partnership.
