iRobot, the American robotics company behind the popular Roomba vacuum cleaners, filed for bankruptcy on December 18, 2025, and announced that it would be taken over by its Chinese creditor, Neato Robotics. The company's shares fell significantly in the days leading up to the announcement, with investors expressing concerns about the company's financial stability. The bankruptcy filing marked the end of iRobot's nearly four-decade-long run as a leading robotics company in the United States.

According to Colin Angle, a co-founder and former chief executive of iRobot, the company's decline was due to a combination of factors, including increased competition from Chinese robotics companies and a failure to adapt to changing consumer preferences. "We were slow to respond to the shift towards more advanced and affordable robotics solutions," Angle said in an interview. "Our products, while innovative, became seen as expensive and outdated, which ultimately led to a decline in sales and revenue."

The takeover by Neato Robotics, a Chinese company that has been a major supplier to iRobot, is expected to bring significant changes to the company's operations and product lineup. Neato Robotics has already begun to integrate iRobot's technology into its own products, and it is likely that the company will continue to produce Roomba-branded vacuum cleaners under its own brand.

The bankruptcy of iRobot has significant implications for the robotics industry in the United States. The company's decline has raised concerns about the ability of American robotics companies to compete with their Chinese counterparts, and it has sparked calls for increased government support for domestic robotics startups. "The loss of iRobot is a wake-up call for the industry," said Dr. Lisa Su, a leading robotics researcher at MIT. "We need to invest in research and development to stay ahead of the curve and ensure that American companies can compete globally."

In related news, the hosts of a popular tech podcast, Kevin Roose and Casey Newton, have released their annual predictions for the tech industry in 2026. According to their predictions, Apple will announce a new line of augmented reality glasses, while Amazon will launch a new line of smart home devices. The hosts also predict that the Chinese government will impose stricter regulations on the tech industry, leading to a significant decline in the value of Chinese tech stocks.

As the holiday season approaches, the hosts of the podcast have also released a special tech-themed Christmas carol, "Hard Forkin' Christmas." The song, which features a catchy chorus and witty lyrics, is a humorous take on the tech industry's obsession with innovation and disruption. "We hope our listeners enjoy the song and have a happy holiday season," said Kevin Roose. "And who knows, maybe next year we'll have a hard forkin' Christmas miracle and the tech industry will finally get its act together."

The takeover of iRobot by Neato Robotics is expected to be completed in the coming months, with the company's new owners promising to invest in research and development to restore the company's former glory. However, the bankruptcy of iRobot has left many questions about the future of the robotics industry in the United States, and it remains to be seen whether the company's decline will have a lasting impact on the industry as a whole.