Sharjah24 – AFP: Amazon on Friday announced a $1.7 billion deal to buy the maker of robotic vacuum Roomba in a merger that would play into the tech giant's artificial intelligence and smart home ambitions.
US-based iRobot is a global company that builds robots and "intelligent home" innovations, having introduced Roomba self-operating vacuums a decade ago, Amazon said in a release.
Amazon's deal to buy iRobot for $61 per share along with acquiring the company's debt is subject to approval of shareholders and regulators.
Colin Angle is to remain chief executive of iRobot after the purchase.
Amazon has been investing in smart home and automation technologies with acquisitions such as Ring doorbells, Kiva warehouse robots and self-driving startup Zoox.
Amazon earlier this year closed an $8.45 billion deal to buy the storied MGM studios, boosting its streaming ambitions with a catalog including the James Bond and Rocky film franchises.
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