https://techcrunch.com/2023/05/01/neato-robotics-is-being-shut-down-after-18-years/

In many meaningful ways, the robot vacuum has been a true success story. The category is broadly considered to be the first mainstream home robot — and 21 years after the first Roomba went on sale, it continues to stand alone. It did one job, and it largely did it well. It was repeatable, the system is affordable and the technology has continued to improve while the core product remains the same.

Founded in 2005 by a trio of Stanford alums, Neato Robotics has been along for most of that ride. The Bay Area firm rose quickly, becoming one of iRobot’s primary competitors years before every single consumer electronics firm took a crack at the space. Over that time, Neato attracted its own unique fanbase by on-boarding new innovations, like its 2011 introduction of Wi-Fi connectivity.