Amazon has agreed to acquire the Roomba vacuum maker iRobot as part of plans to accelerate its growth beyond retail.
The online retail giant will buy iRobot in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $1.7 billion. The purchase will also include iRobot’s net debt.
Having introduced the first Roomba robot vacuum in 2002, iRobot’s product portfolio now features technologies and advanced concepts in cleaning, mapping and navigation. On completion of the acquisition, Colin Angle will remain as chief executive of the business.
