Amazon has acquired iRobot, the company that created the Roomba vacuum.
According to a joint statement, the all-cash deal announced Friday is worth around $1.7 billion.
"Since we started iRobot, our team has been on a mission to create innovative, practical products that make customers' lives easier, leading to inventions like the Roomba and iRobot OS," said Colin Angle, chairman and CEO of iRobot in a statement. "Amazon shares our passion for building thoughtful innovations that empower people to do more at home, and I cannot think of a better place for our team to continue our mission. I'm hugely excited to be a part of Amazon and to see what we can build together for customers in the years ahead."
Bloomberg reported that the deal had raised some alarms with data-privacy experts and antitrust researchers, who say this could lead to Amazon gaining personal information from inside a user's home.
Wired and PC Mag reported that some Roomba vacuums have built-in cameras that can detect pet poop, charging cables, and the layout of your home.
Bloomberg reported that the data collected by Amazon could be used to obtain the value of your home by how big your home is and show you ads that pertain to what is or is not inside your home.
Shares of iRobot soared by 19% after the announcement was made, CNBC reported.
Shareholders and regulators must first approve the deals, the statement said.
Once the deal is completed, Angle will remain as CEO of iRobot.
