Carlyle Loses Over $100 Million on Soured Loan to Roomba Maker
Roomba vacuums by iRobot Corp. are displayed at a store in San Rafael, California.
Photographer: Justin Sullivan/Getty ImagesCarlyle Group Inc. has lost more than $100 million on a loan it provided to now-bankrupt Roomba maker iRobot Corp., according to an estimate based on filings and court papers.
The investment giant extended a $200 million loan to iRobot in July 2023 to provide it more runway until Amazon.com Inc.’s planned acquisition of the company closed. But the deal fell apart early last year over a clash with European Union regulators, and the consumer robotics company received a $94 million termination fee as compensation.