In 2025, the robotic vacuum cleaner market underwent significant changes. Industry pioneer iRobot filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection due to massive debt and was subsequently acquired by its largest Chinese contract manufacturer, Sugawa, through a debt-to-equity swap. According to IDC data, iRobot's global market share shrank to 7.9% in the first half of 2025, and in the third quarter, it was squeezed out of the top five in global shipments by Chinese brands Roborock, Ecovacs, Dreame, Xiaomi, and Narwal.
In the North American market, iRobot's revenue plummeted by 33% in the third quarter of 2025. Chinese brands expanded through Amazon platforms and offline channels; for example, Roborock held approximately 20%-25% market share, while American brand Shark gained market share from offline channels.
In the European market, iRobot proactively scaled back, relegating it to a lower priority market. Revenue in the third quarter of 2025 declined by 13%-14% year-on-year. Chinese brands Dreame, Roborock, and Ecovacs dominated, with Dreame holding a 27% market share in Western Europe.
In the Japanese market, iRobot still holds a 70% market share, but its revenue in the third quarter of 2025 was basically flat, facing accelerated penetration from Chinese brands such as Roborock, Ecovacs, and Xiaomi. Roborock, for example, doubled its market share in the first quarter of 2025.
Industry leader Roborock received approval from the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) for its overseas listing in December 2025, planning to issue no more than 33,108,000 shares and list on the main board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, forming an "A+H" share structure. Roborock's overseas revenue in 2024 was 6.387 billion yuan, accounting for 53.6% of total revenue, once again becoming its largest source of income. In the first nine months of 2025, the company's revenue reached 12.066 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 72.22%, while net profit excluding non-recurring items was 835 million yuan, a year-on-year decrease of 29.63%. During the same period, R&D investment increased by 60.56% year-on-year to 1.028 billion yuan, accounting for 8.52% of revenue. The company stated that the decline in net profit was mainly due to expanding its global leading advantage, continuing to expand its market, and increasing investment in research and development.
