New Delhi, Aug 5 : Amazon on Friday announced it will buy Global consumer robot maker iRobot in a deal worth $1.7 billion in an all-cash transaction. iRobot launched its first Roomba robot vacuum in 2002 and has sold millions of robots across the globe for cleaning, mapping , and navigation.
“Over many years the iRobot team has demonstrated its ability to revolutionize the way cleaning is done with items that are practical and creative, from cleaning at the time and place that customers want to, and staying clear of common issues in the home and even automatic emptying the garbage bin.” added Dave Limp SVP of Amazon Devices.
After the completion of the deal, Colin Angle will remain as the CEO of iRobot.
“Since we founded iRobot our team has been working to create practical, innovative products that make our customers their lives easier, which led to innovations like Roomba and iRobot OS.Roomba as well as iRobot OS,” said Angle the CEO and chairman of the board.
“Amazon shares our enthusiasm to create innovative products that allow people to do better at home.I can’t imagine of the better location for us and our team members to pursue the mission we have set,” he added.
The closing of the deal is subject to normal closing conditions, including approval from the shareholders of iRobot and regulatory approvals.
Robots for cleaning the house dominate The robots for consumer service reported a 25 percent shipment growth (year-on-year) in the year prior according to a report released this week.
The market for consumer robots is expected to expand at an annual rate of growth (CAGR) of 27 per percent during the next four years as per Counterpoint’s IoT service.
“House cleaners, which are primarily comprised of robot vacuums is the most popular category in the robotics market, capturing more than two-thirds of the total market for consumer service robotics,” said senior research analyst Anshika Jain.
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