SoftBank bags stake in Roomba maker IRobot as part of tech grab: sources

LONDON/NEW YORK – 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 comment.