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The Guardian - UK

Technology

Dan Milmo Global technology editor

Amazon drops $1.4bn deal to buy iRobot after EU veto reports

Amazon iRobot European Union European Commission

A dog looks on warily as an iRobot Roomba robotic vacuum cleaner cleans a wooden living room floor — The European Commission said Amazon’s acquisition of the Roomba maker iRobot could restrict competition in the robot vacuum cleaner market. Photograph: Stephen Barnes/Technology/Alamy

Amazon has abandoned its planned $1.4bn (£1.1bn) acquisition of the robot vacuum cleaner company iRobot, amid EU opposition to the deal.

The e-commerce company will pay a $94m break fee to iRobot, which immediately announced plans to axe 31% of its workforce – or 350 employees – and the departure of its chief executive.

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