Roomba maker says ‘substantial doubt’ about future of company


iRobot, the firm behind Roomba vacuums, has issued a warning of “substantial doubt” about the future of the company. 

The company on Wednesday flagged “substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least 12 months from the date of the issuance of its consolidated 2024 financial statements” as it put out its full-year financial results. 

iRobot generated $681.0 million in revenue in fiscal 2024, a more than 23% decrease compared to the prior year. Its annual net loss was $145.5 million. 

iRobot Roomba vacuum cleaners are sold at Target

iRobot vacuum cleaners seen in a Target superstore. (Alex Tai/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Earlier in the week, it had revealed a slew of new robot vacuums that are slated to hit the market starting March 18, including Roomba 205 DustCompactor Vac Robot, the Roomba 205 DustCompactor Combo Robot and others.

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“There can be no assurance that the new product launches will be successful due to potential factors, including, but not limited to consumer demand, competition, macroeconomic conditions, and tariff policies,” iRobot said as it gave the “substantial doubt” warning.

The Massachusetts-based company saw “aggressive competition” in EMEA, Japan and the U.S. during 2024, according to its annual report. 

Ticker Security Last Change Change %
IRBT IROBOT CORP. 3.06 -1.00 -24.75%

The company also disclosed on Wednesday that a credit agreement it has had for a couple of years has been amended. That move involves incurring a $3.6 million fee, according to an SEC filing. 

Early last year, the Roomba maker embarked on an “operational restructuring” that it said would help “position the Company for stabilization in the current environment, while focusing on profitability and advancing key growth initiatives to extend its market share in the mid-tier and premium segments.” iRobot unveiled that initiative not long after it and Amazon agreed to call off a proposed purchase of the Roomba maker by the e-commerce giant. 

AMAZON TERMINATES IROBOT ACQUISITION DUE TO REGULATORY HURDLES

The deal had been contending with hurdles from European antitrust regulators. 

iRobot on Wednesday said it has trimmed its marketing costs and made its products less expensive, among other measures, as part of the restructuring. Those efforts helped it see a “meaningful” decrease in year-over-year operating expenses in 2024, according to the company. 

Roomba robot vacuums made by iRobot are displayed on a shelf at a Bed Bath and Beyond store

Roomba robot vacuums made by iRobot are displayed on a shelf at a Bed Bath and Beyond store in Larkspur, California, on Aug. 5, 2022. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images / Getty Images)

The company said it has started looking into a “broad range of alternatives” for its business through a “formal strategic review.” Debt refinancing and transactions were among the measures it mentioned it was evaluating.

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However, iRobot noted its board “has not set a timetable for the conclusion of this review, and there can be no assurance that the exploration of strategic alternatives will result in any agreements or transactions.” 

The company has been operating since 1990. Its first-ever Roomba vacuum debuted in 2002.



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RHOBH's Kyle Richards Accuses Garcelle of Being Different On-Camera and Being Hypocritical Amid Morgan Wade Drama as Garcelle Wonders Why Cast Has to "Pretend" Singer Doesn't Exist and Signals Double-Standards

Credit: Faye’s Vision/Cover Images, Bravo

Kyle Richards feels that Garcelle Beauvais is a different person when cameras are rolling for The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

As Kyle, 56, accused Garcelle, 58, of being hypocritical in her efforts to gain clarity about the nature of her relationship with Morgan Wade, 30, Garcelle expressed frustration in Kyle’s secrecy, proclaiming that she and the cast are “not dumb” as Erika Jayne, 53, and Bozoma Saint John, 48, reacted to the ongoing speculation and Sutton Stracke, 53, explained why she didn’t speak up.

“When Garcelle and I have spoken in private, she’s been totally understanding of my position that I’m in in discussing this. In front of the other ladies, though, she wants to bring it up and bring it to the table,” Kyle revealed on the March 18 episode of the RHOBH: After Show. “It just doesn’t match our private conversations.”

In addition to getting a different Garcelle on-screen, Kyle said she’s been faced with hypocrisy from her co-star.

“Before, Garcelle had said there’s certain things about Oliver she won’t talk about and things were off limits and I have total respect for that. Her son didn’t want to shoot the season or be talked about and that just was not even an option,” she noted.

Because Garcelle “understood” her stance off-camera but acted differently on-camera, Kyle lost trust.

“If I’ve shared things with Garcelle and these conversations were genuine to me and I leave these conversations feeling like, ‘This person’s my friend,’ and then all of a sudden, her actions are completely different the next time I see her, of course, I’m going to question the validity of her words,” she shared.

Kyle went on to state that it was different arguing with Garcelle than Erika or even Dorit Kemsley, 48, since she never felt that she had to have her guard up with the two of them, even in tense times.

“In this moment, I’m like, ‘Wow, do I need to have my guard up with Garcelle?’” Kyle recalled. “And Sutton too at times.”

As for Garcelle, she’d grown tired of Kyle and Morgan’s relationship being in the press, and the cast having to act as if it wasn’t happening.

“We all see it, it’s everywhere, it’s on the blogs, it’s everywhere, but yet we’re not allowed to bring it up … How can we get deeper in our relationship if we can’t talk about things?” she asked. “The narrative of is she, is she not, and she doesn’t have to tell me if she is or she’s not, but can we talk about it? We’re supposed to act like we don’t see it … to pretend that it’s not happening.”

“We’re not dumb. The people out there are not dumb. We see it,” she continued, signaling double standards. “[And] if the tables were turned and it was us, this group would not let it fly … We would get crucified for doing that.”

According to Garcelle, she would’ve understood not talking about Morgan if Kyle had pulled her aside and explained why she didn’t want to discuss the matter in the group. 

Meanwhile, Erika wasn’t nearly as curious.

“However Kyle lives her life is really none of my f*cking business. I’m Kyle’s friend. I’m kind of on a need-to-know basis and I don’t really need to know,” she declared, admitting that Kyle asked her “not to say Morgan’s name.”

“And I said, ‘Okay, fine. No problem,’” she revealed.

Then, after Boz said that Kyle was “not being honest about everything that [was] going on in her relationship, with Mau or anything else,” she wondered how the cast could grow close to her.

“I don’t know how they’re gonna be good friends to her if they can’t speak about the things going on in her life,” she shared.

As for Sutton’s silence amid the discussion about Kyle and Morgan, Boz added that Sutton made Garcelle look “crazy.”

“It would be different if Garcelle said something and then Kyle was like, ‘You’re right,’ and then had gotten into the conversation, and then Sutton would’ve also then jumped in. That’s different,” she noted. “But if Garcelle is challenging and Kyle is just, ‘I’m not giving you anything,’ and then Sutton doesn’t even add on to it, then Garcelle looks crazy … I can understand why Garcelle would be frustrated.”

But after suggesting that Kyle had compartmentalized her relationship with Morgan outside the group, Sutton defended her lack of input, saying she was trying to be respectful of what was going on in Kyle’s life as Garcelle clapped back.

“I just think it’s bullsh*t, honestly, because I think we’ve talked about that … and then here we are at this table and you’re not backing me up,” she told Sutton. “I wish you would’ve said something so that I’m not the only one asking questions.”

Still, Sutton continued to defend herself.

“It’d been a very long day. I had just dealt with that person, tired, I may have zoned out,” she explained. “[But] I’m sorry that you feel that way. I really am. I wasn’t understanding. I’m dealing with Dorit, which is a lot, and I’m like, ‘Just leave Kyle alone.’”

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills season 14 airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on Bravo.



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