iRobot, the U.S. company best known for the Roomba robot vacuum, has filed for bankruptcy after a period of mounting financial pressure. The company cited heavy debt, growing competition from lower‑priced foreign rivals and higher import costs tied to recent U.S. trade policy as key drivers of its collapse. Shenzhen Picea Robotics, iRobot’s primary manufacturer, is arranging a takeover and has said consumer devices will continue to operate as usual.
Most Roomba units are assembled in Vietnam, which has exposed iRobot to new import fees. In its bankruptcy filing the company reported $3.4 million owed to U.S. Customs and Border Protection for unpaid tariffs and nearly $100 million owed to Shenzhen Picea Robotics, the supplier coordinating the acquisition.
Founded in 1990 by MIT researchers, iRobot began as a developer of systems for the U.S. military and research projects — working on tasks from pyramid exploration to oil‑spill tracking — before pivoting to consumer products such as the Roomba and robotic pool cleaners. In recent years its financial position eroded as cheaper smart vacuums from overseas makers captured market share.
A proposed $1.4 billion acquisition by Amazon fell apart last year amid regulatory scrutiny in both the U.S. and Europe. That failed deal left iRobot with a $200 million loan it took on during the merger review. The company lost money throughout the year, reporting a 33% decline in U.S. revenue in its most recent quarter, and had warned in March that bankruptcy was a possibility given weak consumer demand, competitive pressure and tariff-related costs.
Under the bankruptcy plan iRobot will go private and become part of Picea. The Shenzhen firm sells competing household devices under its 3i brand and lists other brands it manufactures for, including Shark and Anker (maker of Eufy vacuums).