China cements global lead in smart vacuums as Picea acquires Roomba maker iRobot

Chinese robotics manufacturers are set to cement their dominance in the global smart vacuum market with Picea Robotics' acquisition of Roomba maker iRobot, after the US firm's proposed sale to Amazon.com last year fell through due to regulatory hurdles.China-based suppliers held the top five spots for worldwide smart robotic vacuum shipments in the first three quarters of 2025, led by Roborock with a 21.7 per cent market share, equal to 3.8 million units, according to data from research firm IDC.Ecovacs vaulted into second place with a 14.1 per cent overall share, driven by a 27.7 per cent hike in shipments, while Dreame, with 12.4 per cent of the global market, dominated in Europe.Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.Adopting a value-for-money strategy, Xiaomi maintained a 10 per cent share to take fourth place while Narwal rounded out the top five with a 7.5 per cent share.Combined, the five Chinese brands took nearly 70 per cent of the global smart robotic vacuum market. Worldwide shipments rose 18.7 per cent year on year to 17.4 million units in the first three quarters of 2025, according to IDC.Picea will acquire iRobot, the maker of the Roomba vacuum cleaner. Photo: Handout alt=Picea will acquire iRobot, the maker of the Roomba vacuum cleaner. Photo: Handout>Picea's acquisition of iRobot comes after the US firm filed for bankruptcy protection on Sunday amid intense competition from Chinese rivals and mounting tariffs.Shenzhen Picea Robotics and its subsidiary Santrum Hong Kong would take 100 per cent of the equity in iRobot after its ordinary shares were liquidated under a proposed Chapter 11 plan filed in Delaware. Picea was also iRobot's key lender and manufacturer.iRobot said in a statement that it would continue operating, and that the bankruptcy process was expected to be completed by February 2026.Last month, Santrum bought about US$191 million of iRobot's outstanding debt from the investment firm Carlyle Group. iRobot already owed Picea about US$161 million at the time.Founded in 2016, Picea manufactures household appliances and specialised components for companies including GE, Xiaomi, Haier, Philips and Electrolux, at its research and development facilities and manufacturing centres in China and Vietnam. The company also competes directly in the consumer market with its own robotic vacuum brand, 3i, according to its website.Founded in 1990 by engineers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, iRobot found major success with the 2002 debut of its household-name product, the Roomba.In August 2022, iRobot agreed to a US$1.7 billion takeover by Amazon.com, but the deal fell through in 2024 due to objections from regulators in Europe, citing competition concerns.iRobot estimated that the imposition of new tariffs by the Trump administration would increase its costs by more than US$23 million in fiscal year 2025, driven by a 46 per cent tariff on imports from Vietnam, where iRobot's American products are made.iRobot owed US$3.4 million to the US government in unpaid tariffs, according to court filings.This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright © 2025 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.Copyright (c) 2025. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.