Amazon acquired iRobot, the maker of Roomba vacuum cleaners, on August 5. The acquisition further illustrates Amazon’s desire to carve out a place for itself in home automation.
After having acquired Blink in 2017, Ring in 2018 and Eero in 2019, Amazon has just signed on August 5, 2022 the acquisition of iRobot, the manufacturer of Roomba autonomous vacuum cleaners. This list may surprise you: vacuum cleaners don’t have much to do, at first glance, with security cameras from Ring and Blink, or even with Wi-Fi routers from Eero.
However, with these acquisitions, the American e-commerce giant reveals even more its desire to make a name for itself in the home automation sector – and it invites itself a little more to its customers.
Alexa, Echo Dot, cameras and now vacuum cleaners
We can say that Amazon’s arrival in home automation dates back to 2014, with the first version of the Alexa voice assistant and its Echo Dot connected speakers. Since then, the giant has accumulated takeovers in the sector. The acquisition of connected security camera maker Blink in 2017 marked the company’s first real investment in the sector. A year later, in 2018, it was the turn of Ring, another camera specialist, to enter the fold, then of Eero.
All these purchases show that Amazon wants to eventually be able to offer a whole range of products to its customers that can be fully controlled with Alexa. Currently, it is already possible to pronounce formulas orally to Alexa so that the Roomba performs a household task. In the future, this integration should be even more thorough.
This acquisition is most likely not the last. Other companies that operate in home automation and connected devices could in turn fall into the hands of the group. Including in small appliances. The acquisition of iRobot and its Roomba devices can also be seen as a first step in this direction.
Apart from home automation, it is worth noting Amazon’s large investments in the health and medicine sector, with Amazon Pharmacy. The trend is seen especially in the United States, where customers can order and have drugs delivered, even on prescription – in France, however, the practice is not authorized. Another proof that Amazon wants to interfere in very different segments of the daily life of its customers.
Which Home Automation Companies Has Amazon Acquired?
| Company Name | Domain | Redemption date | Redemption amount |
| 2lemetry | Connected device data analysis | 2015 | Not made public |
| Blink | Surveillance cameras and connected doorbells | 2017 | $90 million |
| Ring | Surveillance cameras and connected doorbells | 2018 | $1 billion |
| Ero | Wi-Fi Routers | 2019 | $97 million |
| iRobot | Connected vacuum cleaners | 2022 | $1.7 billion |