How Lina Khan Killed iRobot

She blocked Amazon’s takeover, and now the Chinese will own it

WSJ editorial. Exceerpts:

"We explained at the time how Ms. Warren and progressives in the Biden Administration thwarted Amazon’s attempt to buy iRobot in 2022. They claimed the $1.7 billion acquisition would unfairly augment Amazon’s lead in robotics and home devices. They also said the Roomba would enable Amazon to hoover up data and spy on Americans. 

Amazon is “‘almost universally recognized’ as the leader in warehouse and fulfillment robotics space,” Ms. Warren and other progressives wrote to Biden Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan in September 2022. The deal “would open up a new market to Amazon’s abuses.” Heaven forefend Amazon would use robots to make chores less laborious, as it has for warehouse work."

"iRobot’s main competitors were Chinese companies, which were fast stealing market share. Beijing wants to dominate robotics."

"After the deal collapsed, iRobot said it would cut 31% of its workforce and send overseas “non-core engineering functions to lower-cost regions.” Even then, the Bedford, Mass.-based company continued to struggle against Chinese competitors. Amazon’s backing might have helped it innovate into new robotics fields that Chinese firms hadn’t penetrated."