Amazon has agreed to acquire robot manufacturer iRobot for approximately $1.7 billion. Best known for its automated Roomba vacuum, iRobot produces a full suite of intelligent robotic devices for cleaning, mapping and navigation.
“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,” said Dave Limp, SVP of Amazon Devices in a statement. “Customers love iRobot products — and I’m excited to work with the iRobot team to invent in ways that make customers’ lives easier and more enjoyable.”
While Amazon didn’t share details of its future plans for the company, iRobot’s roster of products fits nicely into the retailer’s existing range of branded devices, which includes everything from smart home and security systems to televisions and even a home monitoring robot. Most of Amazon’s private label gadgets include some kind of integration with the company’s voice assistant Alexa, so it’s not wild to think that iRobot-Alexa pairings might materialize down the line.
“Since we started iRobot, our team has been on a mission to create innovative, practical products that make customers’ lives easier, leading to inventions like the Roomba and iRobot OS,” said Colin Angle, Chairman and CEO of iRobot in a statement, who will remain on as CEO following the merger. “Amazon shares our passion for building thoughtful innovations that empower people to do more at home, and I cannot think of a better place for our team to continue our mission. I’m hugely excited to be a part of Amazon and to see what we can build together for customers in the years ahead.”
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