A clean sweep: How China won the war for your living room floor

I DON’T know what kind of 2025 you’ve had, but China’s year has been triumphant – just look at the Roomba, the little American robot vacuum cleaner that will soon be American no more.

Earlier this month, iRobot, the Roomba’s maker, puttered sadly into Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in a stunning reversal of fortunes for a company that had pioneered an entire product category. As recently as 2021, the firm had been valued at US$3.56 billion.

Its impending fate must be nightmare fuel for American firms everywhere – as part of the restructuring process, iRobot will be bought over by its primary manufacturer, Shenzhen-based Picea Robotics. The loss-making firm is expected to live on, but under Chinese ownership.