iRobot sells defence business
Arlington Capital Partners has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire iRobot’s defence & security business, which will operate as a new independent company after the acquisition is complete.
iRobot is a major supplier of UGVs to the US military, and has supplied more than 6,000 of its four-classes of robots - including FirstLook, SUGV, PackBot and Kobra - to customers worldwide.
The new company will be renamed once the acquisition is complete. Based in Bedford, Massachusetts, the new company will have Sean Bielat as its chief executive officer and Tom Frost as its president. Frost is currently the senior vice president and general manager of iRobot’s defence & security business.
Frost said: ‘It is an exciting time for the company. Building on our long history of innovation and technological achievement serving the defence and security markets as a part of iRobot, we are looking forward to continuing our committed, customer focused approach as a new company.
‘We are enthusiastic to have the backing of Arlington Capital, whose expertise in the defence sector and strong capital commitment will accelerate our growth trajectory.’
Chris Stallmann, vice president, Arlington Capital, said: ‘From weight classes of under five to over 300 pounds, we look forward to building upon one of the industry’s broadest and deepest robotics product line offerings.’
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