iRobot

iRobot was founded in 1990 by three engineers from MIT’s AI lab and first built robots for the military and space. Only twelve years later, in 2002, came the Roomba – the robot vacuum that made the category a living-room fixture.

More than 50 million robots have been sold since. Following insolvency proceedings, iRobot was acquired by Chinese supplier Picea Robotics in early 2026; the brand continues, and for buyers the point to watch is long-term spare parts supply.