ROOMBA VACUUM CLEANER MAKER FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY

The struggling U.S. maker of the Roomba robot vacuum cleaner has filed for bankruptcy protection. Fierce competition in the smart appliance sector has taken a toll on the company's finances.

Massachusetts-based iRobot announced on Sunday it's started a Chapter 11 process in a U.S. court. The company says it'll be acquired by its main contract manufacturer, located in China.

In 2022, iRobot agreed to become a group firm of Amazon. This was part of efforts by the e-commerce giant to expand its home-appliance operations. But the deal fell apart in January last year amid uncertainty about whether regulators would give the green light.

Negotiations with other potential buyers failed to make progress. The robotic appliance maker announced in October the last candidate had backed out.

iRobot originally made robots for mine removal and other purposes. It rolled out the Roomba vacuum cleaner in 2002, and the product became a big hit in a number of countries, including Japan.