China cements global lead in smart vacuums as Picea acquires Roomba maker iRobot
Last month, Picea subsidiary Santrum bought about US$191 million of iRobot’s outstanding debt from the investment firm Carlyle Group
Chinese robotics manufacturers are set to cement their dominance in the global smart vacuum market with Picea Robotics’ acquisition of Roomba maker iRobot, after the US firm’s proposed sale to Amazon.com last year fell through due to regulatory hurdles.
China-based suppliers held the top five spots for worldwide smart robotic vacuum shipments in the first three quarters of 2025, led by Roborock with a 21.7 per cent market share, equal to 3.8 million units, according to data from research firm IDC.
Ecovacs vaulted into second place with a 14.1 per cent overall share, driven by a 27.7 per cent hike in shipments, while Dreame, with 12.4 per cent of the global market, dominated in Europe.
Adopting a value-for-money strategy, Xiaomi maintained a 10 per cent share to take fourth place while Narwal rounded out the top five with a 7.5 per cent share.
Combined, the five Chinese brands took nearly 70 per cent of the global smart robotic vacuum market. Worldwide shipments rose 18.7 per cent year on year to 17.4 million units in the first three quarters of 2025, according to IDC.
Picea’s acquisition of iRobot comes after the US firm filed for bankruptcy protection on Sunday amid intense competition from Chinese rivals and mounting tariffs.