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Roomba maker iRobot swept into bankruptcy

https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2025/12/roomba-maker-irobot-swept-into-bankruptcy/

Shenzhen-based Picea Robotics, its lender and primary supplier, will acquire all of iRobot’s shares.

Avid Amoeba - 17hr

Yet another example that the firms that actually make the things are the ones that matter in the long run.

Apparently Picea makes Roomba, Shark, Anker (Eufy). Maybe also some Dyson.

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Avid Amoeba - 16hr

There are counterexamples for sure but there are whole indistries that fell over to this pattern. E.g. TVs.

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cleverusernametry @lemmy.world - 2hr

They'll be gone as well once RISCV is more pervasive. Companies that sit on their IP and charge licensing fees deserve to die.

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iopq @lemmy.world - 15hr

Ever heard of a little known design shop called Nvidia that outsources production to other companies?

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MDCCCLV @lemmy.ca - 1hr

Fabs are an exception and a bad comparison.

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Yankee_Self_Loader @lemmy.world - 9hr

“This is what happens when companies don’t integrate AI quickly enough.” -other ceos probably

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witty_username @feddit.nl - 12hr

Isn't the real problem here that many companies aim to be bought out as a strategy? They focus on growth to secure a sizeable market share. They often do this without regard for sustaining the business. Equity holders like this because market share inflates company value and selling the company will yield even more money. The downside is though, that at some point, the company can no longer sustain this and must be bought out.
I don't think irobot really needed to go this route or that they weren't competitive any longer. They chose to go for market share and big bucks rather than a long term strategy.
This is why we need more cooperatives. They are better at long term planning, make better products and don't fall prey to predatory value extraction

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AwesomeLowlander - 1hr

What market share? The article is very explicit that irobot went broke due to competition.

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MDCCCLV @lemmy.ca - 1hr

I think the part where if they had limited their debt and controlled their costs they should still be selling enough to stay open. The other products are better but they still don't have the brand recognition.

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Rooster326 @programming.dev - 17min

They literally used all of their money to do stock buybacks. Imagine if they put it into R&D. Maybe they would still exist.

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AwesomeLowlander - 1hr

They were a few hundred million in debt. That's gonna need more than a reorg to handle.

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cleverusernametry @lemmy.world - 2hr

Wtf does that have to do here?

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Jhex @lemmy.world - 9hr

time for one final, multi million dollar bonus for the CEO that brought it there

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HurricaneLiz @lemmy.world - 6hr

My partner's 5 yr old is obsessed with Roombas. If he were old enough to read this news, he'd cry 😢

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Rooster326 @programming.dev - 19min

Isn't Roomba just synonymous with robot vacuum at this point?

All of my friends and family have a "Roomba". Some have the $30 Aldi's Roomba that stumbled around like your drunk uncle, and some have the Roomba with a microphone that chases your dog for the Insta.

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