Amazon Is Buying iRobot for $1.7 Billion

pcmag.com:

Amazon has announced its intention to acquire autonomous consumer robots company iRobot.

iRobot is best known for its Roomba robot vacuums and Braava robot mops, but also offers air purifiers, handheld vacuums, and educational robots to help kids learn to code at home and school. Amazon is spending $1.7 billion(Opens in a new window) ($61 per share) in an all-cash transaction to take control of the company, but will require both iRobot shareholder approval and regulatory approval for the sale to be completed.

"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." said Colin Angle, chairman and CEO of iRobot.

Amazon points to iRobot having "a history of making customers’ lives easier with innovative cleaning products for the home," suggesting this is where the focus will be for future iRobot products. It seems likely Amazon will continue to use the Roomba brand as it's so well known to consumers, but we'll have to wait and see if the word "Echo" gets tagged on somehow.

Amazon also confirmed that once the sale is complete, Colin Angle will remain as CEO of iRobot, suggesting it intends to keep the company running as an independent entity.

Dave Limp, SVP of Amazon Devices, said "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. Customers love iRobot products—and I’m