© 2026 Western New York Public Broadcasting Association

140 Lower Terrace St.
Buffalo, NY 14202

Toronto Address:
130 Queens Quay E.
Suite 903
Toronto, ON M5A 0P6


Mailing Address:
Horizons Plaza P.O. Box 1263
Buffalo, NY 14240-1263

Buffalo Toronto Public Media | Phone 716-845-7000
BTPM NPR Newsroom | Phone: 716-845-7040
Differing shades of blue wavering throughout the image
Give Now
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Why iRobot went bankrupt — and how the company is starting over

WBUR | By Here & Now Newsroom
Published March 17, 2026 at 11:58 AM EDT
Roomba vacuums by iRobot are displayed at Best Buy store on January 19, 2024 in San Rafael, California. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Roomba vacuums by iRobot are displayed at Best Buy store on January 19, 2024 in San Rafael, California. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

The company that created and manufactured the robotic vacuum Roomba filed for bankruptcy late last year and is now owned by one of its Chinese creditors.

Here & Now‘s Scott Tong talks to Colin Angle, who was the co-founder and CEO of iRobot, about the challenges at the company that led to the bankruptcy.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2026 WBUR
Here & Now Newsroom