Amazon expands the cart with the iRobot robot vacuum cleaner
Amazon has announced the acquisition of i-Robot, a company that produces Roomba home robots, among the most popular and sold in the world, for 1.7 billion dollars
The Seattle-based e-commerce giant adds another smart home device to its shopping cart.
Amazon will purchase iRobot, a global leader in sales of Roombla robot vacuum cleaners, for $ 1.7 billion.
In a statement released today, Amazon said it will pay $ 61 for each iRobot share.
The deal, pending approval from shareholders and regulators, has the potential to expand Amazon's robotics range and deepen its presence in consumers' homes. Roomba would join other Amazon-owned products such as the Alexa virtual assistant speaker and Ring video doorbell which together give the retailer more ways to power smart homes.
Additionally, last year Amazon unveiled its own home assistant robot , called Astro, which can help with home security monitoring, powered by its Alexa smart home technology.
So the shopping for the tech giant founded by Jeff Bezos and led by Andy Jassy continues. Just last week, the group announced the purchase of One Medical , an innovative primary medicine and telemedicine services company, for $ 3.49 billion.
All the details.
WHAT THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN AMAZON AND IROBOT PROVIDES
Amazon.com will acquire the robot vacuum maker iRobot in an all-cash deal for approximately $ 1.7 billion. Amazon has announced that it will pay $ 61 per share, valuing iRobot at a 22% premium from the stock's last closing price of $ 49.99.
Shares of iRobot were up nearly 20% in pre-market trading on Friday after the announcement. At its peak, the Roomba maker traded at $ 197.4 as hygiene-conscious consumers invested in premium robot vacuums during the pandemic, Reuters recalls.
In the event that the deal is terminated, Amazon would have to pay iRobot a $ 94 million termination fee. Upon completion of the deal, Colin Angle will remain as chief executive of iRobot.
THE COMPANY THAT PRODUCES THE ROOMBA VACUUM CLEANERS
After launching the first Roomba in 2002, iRobot has continued to develop multiple generations of robotic vacuums, mops, and air purifiers that will now fall into Amazon's product catalog.
But in addition to sweeping up the dirt, Roomba vacuums that cost up to $ 1,000 collect household data that could prove invaluable to companies developing so-called smart home technology.
HOW IS IROBT GOING
The acquisition comes at a time when the Massachusetts-based company reported a sharp slowdown in its business. As the Financial Times reports, iRobot has announced a cost reduction plan that includes the layoff of 10% of its workforce.
And the accounts are not encouraging. IRobot's second quarter revenue fell 30% due to weak demand and cancellations from retailers in North America and Europe, the Middle East and Africa as consumers rethink how they spend their money during the rise in sales. inflation. The company also reported a quarterly operating loss of $ 63 million, a red that widens from the $ 3 million it lost in the same period last year.
THE COMMENT OF THE EXPERTS
For Amazon, the acquisition represents "a further foray into the home automation market," according to Neil Saunders, chief executive officer of GlobalData, a data analysis and consulting firm, reprized by CNN . “It's easy to see how Amazon will integrate products like Roomba into the Alexa and Prime ecosystems, so that people have a central point of monitoring and control for many tasks and activities,” Saunders added.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/innovazione/amazon-espande-il-carrello-con-il-robot-aspirapolvere-di-irobot/ on Mon, 08 Aug 2022 05:19:00 +0000.