Neato Robotics, one of the best robot vacuum makers in the world, is sadly shutting down, marking the end of the robovac pioneer’s 18-year journey.
Neato’s owner, German company Vorwerk, made the announcement in a press release. (opens in new tab) “Despite restructuring efforts, Nate will be shutting down,” he said, after the company “had failed to meet the economic targets it set for several years.”
We’re big fans of the Neato D10, calling it “the best robot vacuum for allergy sufferers”, so the news that there’s no successor is really disappointing. It might be a concern, but existing models will be supported for at least a while.
Neato vacuum spare parts and repair services are “guaranteed for at least five years,” according to a press release. Vorwerk will also set up a team to “secure the infrastructure of Neato’s cloud services for at least five years.”
Neato’s robot vacuum still has software and hardware support, so you can safely roam your home for years to come. But the news shows just how competitive RoboVacspace has become over the past few years.
Nate hasn’t announced a new product since IFA 2020, when the latest D10 debuted, so the news that he’s no longer making new models comes as no shock. Pricing model advantages have made robot vacuums a hotly contested arena, leaving poor Nate nowhere to be.
Analysis: Saying Goodbye to RoboVac Pioneers The Neato Botvac D7 impressed me in 2017 with its ability to map homes using “discovery mode”. (Image credit: Nate) Nate was founded in 2005 but didn’t release its first robot vacuum, the XV-11, until 2010. That model was a technical treat and challenged iRobot’s Roomba despite its $400 price tag. In the decade since then, Neato’s vacuum cleaners have contributed significantly to RoboVac technology.
Neato’s D-shaped vacuum cleaner (which can now easily be moved to the corner of a room) is one of the first products to help map a room in the dark using LiDAR technology. The company’s BotVac Connected model was also one of the first to offer Wi-Fi connectivity to help connect to companion apps.
In both cases, Neato has been able to make technological advances to its main rival, the Roomba, as well as the Dyson 360 Eye and Samsung’s Powerbot series. The addition of Wi-Fi has also opened the door to voice control such as the Neato Botvac D7 Connected.
Paying tribute to Electrolux and its Trilobite, first demonstrated in 1996, Neato, while not the first maker of robotic vacuum cleaners, has left its mark on cleanliness-obsessed robots. From here, Neato’s parent company, Vorwerk, will integrate the technology into his new R&D site, apparently to develop “both professional and consumer robotic systems.”
