‘We Should Be Cheering’ Amazon’s $1.7B IRobot Buy: Shapiro

Robotics are “an inevitable part of our human future -- and that’s a good thing!” blogged CTA President Gary Shapiro on LinkedIn Thursday in support of Amazon’s proposed $1.7 billion iRobot buy (see 2208050007). IRobot has been “incredibly important and successful as an American startup,” said Shapiro. “I don’t think it’s an overstatement to say that the company's innovations were foundational to growth in the now booming home robotic cleaning market.” But iRobot, like any small company, lacks “the resources or funding to rapidly take its products to the next level,” he said. Amid the FTC’s “aggressive approach” to antitrust action, “there are already media reports to suggest that the agency will file a case against Amazon in an attempt to block the acquisition,” said Shapiro. “That prospect alone could tank investment in the home cleaning market -- an area where American startups thrive.” In iRobot, “we should be cheering on a stellar example of American-led success,” he said.