Shenzhen-based Picea Robotics, its lender and primary supplier, will acquire all of iRobot’s shares.

Isn’t the real problem here that many companies aim to be bought out as a strategy? They focus on growth to secure a sizeable market share. They often do this without regard for sustaining the business. Equity holders like this because market share inflates company value and selling the company will yield even more money. The downside is though, that at some point, the company can no longer sustain this and must be bought out. I don’t think irobot really needed to go this route or that they weren’t competitive any longer. They chose to go for market share and big bucks rather than a long term strategy. This is why we need more cooperatives. They are better at long term planning, make better products and don’t fall prey to predatory value extraction

What market share? The article is very explicit that irobot went broke due to competition.

I think the part where if they had limited their debt and controlled their costs they should still be selling enough to stay open. The other products are better but they still don’t have the brand recognition.