Roomba’s parent company is warning that its future is on shaky ground, more than a year after a planned $1.7 billion acquisition by Amazon fell through.

Robot's success spawned a whole new industry, and it didn't take long for competitors to bring rival cleaning bots to market – often at lower price

iRobot, maker of the Roomba autonomous vacuum, has suffered over the past few years from slumping sales, failed new products, and an aborted takeover attempt by Amazon.

Robot, the creator of the Roomba and the company that popularized robot vacuums in the first place, told investors on Wednesday that it has "substantial doubt about [its] ability to continue." Beyond declining sales — the company reported that revenue decreased 47 percent in the US over the prior year in its fourth quarter earnings — iRobot is also struggling to pay off its debts.

The loss-making company was once valued at $3.56 billion in 2021, driven by pandemic-fueled demand. It is now worth less than $200 million.

This year has been huge for robot vacuums, with new and upcoming models from Dreame, Eureka, and Roborock now clambering over obstacles, targeting water spills and even picking up your socks, all in the name of more effective,