SoftBank Is Said to Take Stake in Roomba Maker in Buildout (2)

(Bloomberg) -- SoftBank Group Corp. has taken a stake in Roomba vacuum-cleaner maker IRobot Corp., people familiar with the matter said, as the Japanese company builds its holdings in robotics firms.

SoftBank has built a less than 5 percent stake in IRobot, below the amount that would require a regulatory disclosure in the U.S., the people said, asking not to be identified because the purchase was private. The Bedford, Massachusetts-based technology company has a market value of $2.4 billion.

Shares in IRobot rose 22 percent in late trading in New York. Representatives for SoftBank and IRobot declined to comment.

SoftBank, which has more than $93 billion in commitments so far for its technology-focused Vision Fund, has been snapping up robotics firms this year. In June, SoftBank agreed to buy Boston Dynamics from Alphabet Inc. for an undisclosed sum. Earlier this month, the Vision Fund led a $114 million investment in San Diego-based artificial-intelligence firm Brain Corp., which develops self-driving technology for robots.

It’s unclear whether the IRobot investment will be held by SoftBank or the Vision Fund.

IRobot was founded about 27 years ago by Massachusetts Institute of Technology robotics engineers who pioneered the market for the self-propelled devices that vacuum and wash floors. Last year the company sold its robotic mine-detection and bomb-disposal business to focus on its consumer products, which accounted for 99 percent of 2016 revenue.

The Vision Fund, which is targeting $100 billion in total commitments, is getting contributions from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Apple Inc. and other large, institutional backers and tech companies.

IRobot reported second quarter financial results after the close of trading in New York Tuesday. Revenue rose 23 percent to $183.1 million, exceeding analyst estimates, while net income climbed to $7.9 million.

The U.S. company also announced Wednesday a $141 million acquisition of Robopolis SAS, a French-based distributor of iRobot products. Robopolis represented nearly half of iRobot’s European, Middle East and African revenues in 2016, according to a statement.

To contact the reporters on this story: Giles Turner in London at gturner35@bloomberg.net, Dinesh Nair in London at dnair5@bloomberg.net, Ed Hammond in New York at ehammond12@bloomberg.net, Alex Sherman in New York at asherman6@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Giles Turner at gturner35@bloomberg.net, Elizabeth Fournier at efournier5@bloomberg.net, Amy Thomson, Peter Elstrom

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