Three hardware companies—iRobot, Luminar, and Rad Power Bikes—filed for bankruptcy within a week, facing similar challenges despite selling different products (robotic vacuums, lidar sensors, and e-bikes). Common issues included tariff pressures from Chinese manufacturing dependencies, failed major acquisition deals (notably iRobot's blocked Amazon acquisition), pandemic-driven revenue peaks followed by steep declines, and inability to diversify beyond their flagship products. The bankruptcies highlight structural challenges in hardware manufacturing, including supply chain concentration in China and difficulty maintaining growth after initial product success.
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