After the near-end: iRobot boss talks about mistakes, restart and big plans

Lorenz Keller

17.3.2026

Translation: machine translated

"Without Picea, there would be no iRobot today," says iRobot CEO Gary Cohen. In this interview, he explains what mistakes the robot vacuum pioneer has made, what has changed as a result of the takeover and which products are still waiting in the wings.

iRobot CEO Gary Cohen joins the Zoom call a few minutes late. No wonder: it's one meeting after another. The head of the US company that has popularised vacuum robots worldwide is a man in demand these days. After all, he has to get the collaboration with Picea, the new owners from China, off the ground and plan the next generation of devices at the same time.

In spite of this, he takes an hour to answer my questions - and is open and self-critical. That's not a given in the industry.

Now that iRobot has a new owner in Picea: What's changing?
Gary Cohen: Not much, actually. For iRobot, this is rather a good opportunity to create a much closer connection to research and development as well as to the innovation labs. We have control from planning to production to sales. So what will change: better products, faster time to market and more innovation.

**What direction are these innovations going in?**
My goal is to align iRobot even more closely with the wishes of consumers - and to develop Picea in this direction too. I want us to lead the pace of innovation in robot hoovers together. Many competitors are very feature-driven. We can now keep up with the competition technically - we want to differentiate ourselves through our brand and our focus on the consumer.

**Has the strategy changed in any way as a result of the takeover?**
I wouldn't say no. It has become more concrete and realisable because we now have enough resources again. Our aim now is to regain the global leadership position, to open up new markets in which we were previously not active and to regain market share where we lost innovative momentum as a result of the failed Amazon takeover. Strategically, the goal therefore remains market leadership.

In which product categories or technologies will iRobot invest more in the future?Firstly, we want to strengthen our core business and regain market share in robot hoovers. At the same time, however, we also want to expand within and outside our traditional area.

How, for example...?
We are already working on robotic lawn mowers and pool cleaners. We are also looking into other connected devices for indoor use. Picea has already conducted its own research in this area: they produce their own sensors, compressors and motors. From A to Z, we will therefore be able to cover many of these areas ourselves in future - whether through in-house development or in partnership.

**Why has this not worked out in recent years?**
iRobot has always had numerous innovative ideas. If you go to a tech fair today, you will hardly come across an idea that we have not also worked on. However, we have often not managed to turn these visions into products that we could then sell. For example, the concept for a robotic vacuum cleaner that we recently launched in Japan had been lying in a drawer for almost ten years. The team didn't manage to develop the idea into a finished product. One of my main goals is now to realise such concepts quickly and efficiently. One example is the numerous lawn mower prototypes that we have in our warehouse. I am doing everything I can to ensure that these are now developed into a finished product.

What kind of product is this that iRobot has launched in Japan?A mini robot with the cleaning power of a large model, fully customised to the needs of Japanese households. It is completely geared towards small spaces and homes and is available in four colours because we know that this target group values design - similar to kitchen appliances. We even have more colour variants in the pipeline. However, we are convinced that this product also has global potential, for example for student residences, smaller flats or inner-city living. But first we simply launched the robot on the market in Japan. This also shows a change at iRobot: we don't always have to do everything at the same time or start in the USA. We want to operate globally and launch products where there is demand for them.

**What new models are coming to Europe?**
I can't give any details yet. Europe is currently the market that is developing the fastest. This is due to the strong competition and the growing online trade. Last year, we launched a new product range with LiDAR navigation and multifunctional devices, after having hardly been active in these segments for several years. Our competitors were much faster there. As the European market is growing rapidly, we need to be present here with new products. We will be launching a new generation of robot hoovers this year.

**What should the new robotic vacuum cleaners be able to do better?**
Stronger suction power, better navigation and improved mapping take centre stage. We also want to bring self-cleaning rollers to the mid-price segment. Premium functions such as extendable mops should also become a matter of course in the lower price segments. At the same time, we are investing heavily in the app - it's not just the device itself that counts, but also the user interface.

**iRobot is known for its local customer service and support. Will that continue?**
Yes, this is a central component of our business model. Repair, service, warranty, spare parts and after-sales service remain an integral part of our strategy.

**Many people have appreciated iRobot because it is not a Chinese supplier. What does that look like after the takeover?**
We have secured our headquarters in Boston for the long term. Our innovation labs will remain there - in a strong robotics ecosystem with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and other universities. All servers for Europe and the USA will remain in the USA. Marketing, research and development and headquarters will remain there. Picea explicitly supports our positioning as an American and Western company and will remain in the background.

**Are models without a cloud also planned?**
Technically, this is possible without any problems. However, you would have to cut back on functions. In the future, there will probably be both: highly networked devices and simpler models without a cloud connection that have significantly fewer features, such as obstacle detection using AI.

**What were the most important lessons learnt in recent years?**
We didn't take the competition seriously enough and were too late with technologies such as LiDAR scanners, combination devices and multifunctional solutions. Some of our products were too complex in design, too expensive and not developed to meet consumer needs. In addition, the costs for everything were too high. My conclusion is therefore: take the competition seriously, develop for our customers and do it all at a lower cost.

**Were the reactions to the takeover underestimated?**
The year was challenging. The special takeover process with an announcement of insolvency in accordance with «Chapter 11» is often misunderstood outside the USA. It was a strategic move to stabilise the company. Without Picea, there would be no iRobot today. Consumers have remained relatively loyal. If we bring back products that inspire and advertise them accordingly, the Roomba brand will remain strong.

Gary Cohen has been CEO of iRobot since May 2024. He took over from company founder Colin Angle, who had to step down after the failed takeover by Amazon. Since then, Cohen has massively restructured and reorganised the company. In December 2025, he announced that the Chinese manufacturer Picea was taking over iRobot. Picea had previously manufactured the iRobot models. Gary Cohen has specialised in turnarounds and company restructuring for 25 years. Among other things, he was CEO of watch manufacturer Timex and car accessories manufacturer Qualitor Automotive.

Lorenz Keller

Senior Editor

Lorenz.Keller@digitecgalaxus.ch

Gadgets are my passion - whether you need them for the home office, for the household, for sport and pleasure or for the smart home. Or, of course, for the big hobby next to the family, namely fishing.

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