Amazon is set to acquire iRobot, the maker of the Roomba robot vacuum, in an all-cash transaction valued at $1.7 billion.
The completion of the transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, according to a Friday (Aug. 5) press release .
“We know that saving time matters, and chores take precious time that can be better spent doing something that customers love,” said Amazon Devices Senior Vice President Dave Limp in the release. “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.”
On completion of the transaction, Colin Angle will remain as CEO of iRobot, the release stated.
“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,” Angle said in the press release.
iRobot introduced the Roomba in 2002 and has sold millions of robots since then. Today, the company focuses on cleaning, mapping and navigation technologies and concepts and builds robots and smart home devices, according to the release.
PYMNTS research found that the share of consumers using smart home and digital home applications was higher in May than at any point since November 2021 — and is climbing.
Read more: 32% of Consumers Right at Home With Digital, Voice Controls
Thirty-two percent of consumers use tools that automate cleaning tasks, such as vacuuming or pool cleaning, at least once a month, according to PYMNTS’ “ConnectedEconomy™ Monthly Report: The Rise of the Smart Home.”
“Not only do 53 million U.S. consumers use automatic and smart home technologies, such as Roombas and climate control systems, but 79 million Americans use voice assistants like Alexa and Google Home to help manage daily chores and their connected homes,” the study stated.
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New PYMNTS Study: How Consumers Use Digital Banks A PYMNTS survey of 2,124 US consumers shows that while two-thirds of consumers have used FinTechs for some aspect of banking services, just 9.3% call them their primary bank.
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