<div style="text-align: justify; "><b style="font-size: 1rem;">Britain's Competition and Markets Authority regulator said Friday it has approved Amazon's $1.7-billion purchase of iRobot, the US maker of robotic vacuum Roomba.</b><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The CMA "has now concluded that the deal would not lead to competition concerns in the UK", it announced in a statement.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The transaction, announced in August 2022, aims to expand the US retail titan Amazon's artificial intelligence and smart home ambitions.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Massachusetts-based iRobot builds robots and "intelligent home" innovations, having introduced the Roomba self-operating vacuums a decade ago.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Amazon's deal to buy iRobot for $61 per share along with acquiring the company's debt was subject to approval of shareholders and regulators.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">iRobot has a 30-year track record in robotics, and underlying software such as mapping and navigation.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Amazon has meanwhile invested smart home and automation technologies with acquisitions such as Ring doorbells, Kiva warehouse robots and self-driving startup Zoox.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Friday's decision comes after the CMA had in April decided to block Microsoft's $69-billion takeover of "Call of Duty" video games giant Activision Blizzard, arguing it would harm competition in cloud gaming. That decision will be appealed by both companies. AFP</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>