CE Pro October 2022 - 13

Amazon Acquires Roomba
Maker iRobot for $1.7B
ARE YOU READY TO ADD robotic vacuum cleaners to your
portfolio of smart home offerings? You just might have to
after Amazon announced the acquisition of iRobot for $1.7
billion in August. iRobot is the maker of Roomba, the robotic
vacuum cleaner that learns the location of furniture and the
room dimensions.
The little robot vacuum cleaner was first introduced in 2002,
and iRobot today is a global enterprise that has sold millions of
robots worldwide. iRobot's product portfolio features technologies
and advanced concepts in cleaning, mapping and navigation.
Working from this portfolio, iRobot engineers are building
robots and smart home devices to help consumers make their
homes easier to maintain and healthier places to live.
" We know that saving time
matters, and chores take precious
time that can be better
The move adds to
Amazon's connected
home solutions stable
that includes Ring, Fire
TV and Alexa.
spent doing something that
customers love, " says Dave
Limp, SVP of Amazon Devices.
" Over many years, the iRobot
team has proven its ability to
reinvent how people clean
with products that are incredibly
practical and inventive
- from cleaning when and
where customers want while
avoiding common obstacles
in the home, to automatically emptying the collection bin.
Customers love iRobot products - and I'm excited to work
with the iRobot team to invent in ways that make customers'
lives easier and more enjoyable. "
" Since we started iRobot, our team has been on a mission
to create innovative, practical products that make customers'
lives easier, leading to inventions like the Roomba and iRobot
OS, " says Colin Angle, chairman and CEO of iRobot. " Amazon
shares our passion for building thoughtful innovations that
empower people to do more at home, and I cannot think of a
better place for our team to continue our mission. I'm hugely
excited to be a part of Amazon and to see what we can build
together for customers in the years ahead. "
Amazon will acquire iRobot for $61 per share in an all-cash
transaction valued at approximately $1.7 billion, including
iRobot's net debt. Completion of the transaction is subject
to customary closing conditions. On completion, Angle will
remain as CEO of iRobot.
Amazon is already embedded in the smart home space with
its Alexa voice control and Echo smart speaker, as well as via
its ownership of Ring video doorbells and Eero networks.
cepro.com
Air Purifier Sector
Forecast for Continued
Strong Growth
THE SMART AIR PURIFIER MARKET spiked during the
COVID-19 pandemic to an estimated value of $8.5 billion.
But due to potential regulations surrounding air quality and
the growing size of vulnerable populations, this market will
likely continue to expand, a recent Research and Markets
report says.
This makes for a continued annual growth rate (CAGR) of
11.2% over the next four years.
With the Baby Boomer generation approaching retirement
age, the senior population of the United States is expected
to reach 80 million in 2040, which would be double
what it was at the start of the century.
This presents a larger portion of the population that is
far more vulnerable to the negative health effects of poor
air quality, according to the report, which is highlighting a
far greater need for these devices in the future than what is
present in the current day.
In addition, rising awareness regarding the health effects
and consequences of air pollution is driving various companies
to develop more and more advanced, and niche, air
purification solutions. According to Research and Market,
the continued growth has also been facilitated by the near
unanimous adoption of connected home appliances across
the world.
Greater sensing capabilities, user-friendly designs and
simple programming platforms with enhanced control are all
expected to continue driving interest and adoption among
homeowners and businesses alike in the coming years.
Some of the latest models, the report notes, are even
capable of leveraging artificial intelligence for predicting
environmental situations.
Across all developed regions, there are yet more factors
expected to influence the growth rate, and the importance
of smart air purifiers in the coming years. Ongoing
focus on environmental issues as well as the associated
impact of climate change, such as the rising incidence of
allergies due to rising pollen counts year after year, as well
as wildfires, will see air purifiers become a necessity in
certain regions.
In addition, more stringent regulatory standards related
to the Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) of products, in
addition to a growing awareness of product capabilities will
help builder stronger consumer confidence within the market
over time as the heightened concerns regarding health
remains a core focus among consumers.
October 2022 CE Pro | 13
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CE Pro October 2022

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