Amazon calls off bid to buy robot vacuum cleaner iRobot amid scrutiny in the US and Europe
Amazon has called off its proposed acquisition of iRobot, with the ecommerce giant blaming "undue and disproportionate regulatory hurdles."
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Amazon on Monday called off its proposed acquisition of iRobot, which was facing antitrust scrutiny on both sides of the Atlantic, with the ecommerce giant blaming “undue and disproportionate regulatory hurdles.”
The companies said in joint statement that they “entered into a mutual agreement to terminate their announced acquisition agreement.”
“We’re disappointed that Amazon’s acquisition of iRobot could not proceed,” David Zapolsky, Amazon's general counsel, said in the statement.
Colin Angle, the founder of iRobot, also said the termination was “disappointing.”
Amazon’s announced in 2022 that it would buy Bedford, Massachusetts-based iRobot for $1.7 billion, but the value of the deal fell 15% after the company incurred new debt.
The European Commission, the European Union’s executive arm and top antitrust enforcer, had informed Amazon last year of its “preliminary view” that the acquisition of the maker of the circular-shaped Roomba vacuum would be anticompetitive.
British antitrust regulators cleared the purchase back in June, but it also still faced scrutiny in the U.S. by the Federal Trade Commission.