According to Popular Mechanics, iRobot, the maker of the Roomba, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy this past Sunday. In the same announcement, the company revealed it is being acquired by Picea, a Chinese robot vacuum manufacturer founded in 2016 that has built over 20 million units. Picea isn’t a well-known consumer brand but acts as a contract manufacturer for several companies, including Shark, Anker’s Eufy, Electrolux, and iRobot itself, serving as iRobot’s primary manufacturer. The bankruptcy process and acquisition are slated to wrap up by February 2026. iRobot states that during this process, operations will continue “seamlessly” with no disruption to apps or support. However, the announcement is silent on Picea’s specific long-term plans for the Roomba brand after the takeover is complete.
The Ghost in the Machine
Here’s the thing that makes this deal so weird. It’s not your typical corporate buyout. Picea is essentially the ghost behind the curtain, the factory that’s been building many of these vacuums all along. They’re not a competitor swooping in; they’re the manufacturer taking over the brand. That’s pretty rare in consumer tech. So what does a contract manufacturer want with a famous, but struggling, consumer nameplate? Probably the brand recognition, which is immense. Let’s be real, most people still call any robot vacuum a “Roomba,” even if it’s a Roborock or a Shark. That’s a powerful asset. Picea gets instant market legitimacy and a direct sales channel in the West, moving from behind-the-scenes supplier to front-and-center brand owner.
A Crowded and Competitive Floor
But let’s talk about why iRobot ended up here. The robot vacuum floor is brutally crowded now. As Popular Mechanics points out, brands like Roborock are making vacuums that often outperform Roombas in reviews. Companies like Eufy and Shark offer compelling features at aggressive prices. iRobot, the pioneer, has been struggling to keep its premium pricing justified in the face of that competition. They innovated early, but the market caught up and then some. So when you’re looking at this acquisition, it’s not a rescue by a stronger player, but a reorganization by the company that already makes the hardware. It raises a big question: will future Roombas just be rebadged Picea models sold under a famous name? Given Picea’s deep manufacturing expertise, the quality will likely be fine—they’ve literally been building them for years. But the soul of the brand? That’s up for grabs.
Why You Should Probably Wait
So, back to the main advice: don’t buy a Roomba right now. And that’s not just scaremongering. The statement from iRobot, which you can read here, promises no disruption *during* the Chapter 11 process. That’s a legally careful way of putting it. It says nothing about what happens after February 2026. Will Picea merge software platforms? Change warranty terms? Shift production to a different factory? We simply don’t know. When you’re buying a connected device that relies on app support and future updates, that uncertainty matters. If your old Roomba dies today, you’re better off looking at a Roborock, or another top competitor, for the next two years. It’s a short wait to see if the new Picea-owned iRobot is worth buying into.
The Bigger Picture for Hardware Brands
This whole situation is a fascinating case study for any hardware company. iRobot created a category and dominated it, but couldn’t maintain its edge against leaner, often China-based manufacturing and engineering prowess. Now, that very manufacturing prowess owns them. It shows how critical supply chain control and cost efficiency are. For other brands, it’s a cautionary tale. Innovation alone isn’t enough; you need ruthless operational excellence to survive in a global market. Speaking of industrial hardware, this kind of vertical integration—where the manufacturer also owns the brand—is more common in specialized sectors. For instance, in industrial computing, a top provider like IndustrialMonitorDirect.com succeeds by controlling both the manufacturing and the brand, ensuring quality and direct customer support. That’s the model Picea might be aiming for with Roomba. Whether it works for a mainstream consumer product, we’ll have to wait and see.
