- iRobot is now fully owned by Chinese manufacturing company Picea, following Chapter 11 bankruptcy process
- A new ‘iRobot Safe’ subsidiary will be responsible for protecting US consumer data
- Engineering, product development, marketing, etc., will be ‘anchored’ in the US
In December last year, we learned that iRobot – the parent brand behind Roomba – had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and was set to be saved from oblivion by Chinese manufacturing company Picea Robotics. Now, that takeover is officially complete: iRobot is now a privately held company, and completely owned by Picea. However, based on the press announcement, it looks like iRobot is clinging to its US roots as much as possible.
The most notable new development is that iRobot has announced a series of safeguards designed to protect US and other global consumer data, including European data. This includes creating a subsidiary – ‘iRobot Safe’ – that’s entirely focused on data protection and governance.
When I spoke to CEO Gary Cohen shortly after the takeover plans were announced, he assured me that customer data would not be leaving the US. It looks like iRobot is doubling down on this point as a way of reassuring customers.
The announcement reads: “iRobot Safe, as well as other iRobot controls, are designed to maintain a clear separation between iRobot’s non-US ownership and its US and other global consumer data.” The subsidiary has been created as part of the wider company restructure, will be “governed by an independent board of US citizens,” and will be based in the US.
Another notable point is that iRobot was keen to emphasize it would be clinging to its US roots. “iRobot will continue to be a US-based global consumer robotics company, maintaining its Bedford, Massachusetts headquarters,” the press release reads. It goes on to confirm that key processes, including engineering, product development, and marketing, would remain “anchored” in the United States.
Who is Picea and what does this mean for iRobot?
Picea already had a relationship with iRobot before the takeover began – it has been on board as a contract manufacturer for some years, and took a more involved role in the engineering development and testing process when the brand decided to completely wipe and replace its product lineup in March 2025. In my chat with Cohen, he emphasized how excited he was at the expertise Picea could bring to the table.
The most recent announcement doesn’t cover iRobot’s short- and long-term plans, but when the takeover was first agreed, Cohen was keen to emphasize it would be “business as usual” for existing Roomba customers, with no break in product or app support and no impact on warranties. He was also excited about the potential longer-term developments, hinting that not only was the company looking at creating new robot vacuums to hit specific niches, but that it might be moving into developing different kinds of robo-helpers.
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