iRobot's financial troubles: What's next for Roomba?
It looks like things aren't going so great for iRobot, the company that started the whole robot vacuum craze. Their latest financial report wasn't pretty; revenue is down, and they're burning through cash faster than I can clean my apartment after a party. The CEO mentioned some serious headwinds, production slowdowns, and shipping problems, which all add up to a big financial headache.
And get this: they're apparently down to less than $25 million in the bank and, according to the CEO, don't have any easy ways to get more. Ouch! I remember when Amazon was going to buy them back in 2022, which seemed like a perfect solution; However, that deal fell through because of regulatory concerns, leaving iRobot in an even tougher spot. The aftermath included laying off a bunch of employees (over 30 percent!), their founder and CEO leaving, and a mountain of debt.
To try to get back in the game, iRobot launched a whole new line of robot vacuums this year. They're trying to compete with brands like Roborock and Ecovacs. The new models have some cool features, like lidar navigation, which is a first for them. They also look quite different, more like the competition, and use a different app. I must say that I liked some of the new hardware features, such as spinning mop pads and a roller mop.
What if iRobot goes belly up?
I read that iRobot warned they might have to file for bankruptcy if they can't find more funding or a buyer. That's not good news for anyone who owns a Roomba. What happens to your trusty cleaning bot if the company goes under? If iRobot's cloud services shut down, your Roomba might still work if you press the physical button to start, stop, and dock it. However, you would not be able to control the robot using the app or with voice commands.
This whole situation makes me think about how much we rely on cloud-connected devices. It's nice to have the extra features, but what happens when the company behind them disappears? We saw this happen with Neato, another robot vacuum maker, which shut down its cloud services last year. While their vacuums could still be used manually, the app became useless. Cloud connectivity should be a bonus, not a necessity. It's something I think about whenever I buy a "smart" device these days. I hope iRobot finds a solution, for their sake and for the sake of all the Roomba owners out there.
Source: The Verge