Many of the biggest technology and business brands in the world today started as small companies before growing into global giants. Each of these brands has a unique history, with founders who took risks and created innovations that changed industries. Below is a detailed look at some of these famous companies, when they were founded, and the key people behind them.
Nokia (1865, Finland)
Nokia was founded in 1865 in Finland by Fredrik Idestam, Leo Mechelin, and Eduard Polón. The company started as a paper mill and later moved into rubber, cables, and telecommunications. It became a global leader in mobile phones in the 1990s and early 2000s before losing its dominance to smartphones from Apple and Samsung.
Toshiba (1875, Japan)
Toshiba was founded in 1875 in Japan by Tanaka Hisashige. It started as a small electrical equipment manufacturer and later became one of the biggest technology companies in the world, known for making laptops, semiconductors, and home appliances.
Nintendo (1885, Japan)
Nintendo was founded in 1885 by Fusajiro Yamauchi in Japan. It started as a company making playing cards before moving into the video game industry. Nintendo became famous for creating legendary gaming consoles like the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), Game Boy, and Nintendo Switch, along with franchises like Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, and Pokémon.
IBM (1911, USA)
IBM (International Business Machines) was founded in 1911 in the United States by Charles Ranlett Flint. It started as a company making punch-card machines and later became one of the world’s most important computing firms, leading innovations in mainframe computers, artificial intelligence, and cloud computing.
Motorola (1928, USA)
Motorola was founded in 1928 by Paul and Joseph Galvin in the United States. The company made some of the first mobile phones and helped develop the first walkie-talkies. Motorola played a major role in early mobile communication before splitting into two companies in 2011: Motorola Mobility (which was later bought by Google) and Motorola Solutions.
Samsung (1938, South Korea)
Samsung was founded in 1938 in South Korea by Lee Byung-chul. It started as a small trading business and later expanded into textiles, insurance, and electronics. Today, Samsung is one of the largest technology companies in the world, making smartphones, TVs, semiconductors, and home appliances.
HP (1939, USA)
Hewlett-Packard (HP) was founded in 1939 by Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard in the United States. The company started in a small garage in California and later became a leader in personal computers, printers, and business software.
Sony (1946, Japan)
Sony was founded in 1946 in Japan by Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita. It started as a small electronics company and later became one of the biggest entertainment and technology brands, known for PlayStation, Sony TVs, cameras, and music production.
Intel (1968, USA)
Intel was founded in 1968 in the United States by Gordon Moore, Robert Noyce, and Andy Grove. It became the leading company in microprocessors, creating the powerful chips used in most personal computers and data centers worldwide.
Microsoft (1975, USA)
Microsoft was founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen. The company became famous for its Windows operating system, which is used on billions of computers worldwide. Microsoft also owns Xbox, LinkedIn, and Teams and has invested heavily in artificial intelligence and cloud computing.
Apple (1976, USA)
Apple was founded in 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne. The company revolutionized personal computing with the Macintosh and later changed the mobile phone industry with the iPhone. Apple is one of the most valuable companies in the world today.
Dell (1984, USA)
Dell was founded in 1984 by Michael Dell in his college dorm room. The company became a leader in personal computers and business solutions, selling directly to customers and helping popularize affordable home computers.
Cisco (1984, USA)
Cisco was founded in 1984 by Leonard Bosack and Sandy Lerner. It became the world’s leading provider of networking equipment, playing a crucial role in developing the internet.
Nvidia (1993, USA)
Nvidia was founded in 1993 by Jensen Huang, Chris Malachowsky, and Curtis Priem. It started as a graphics chip company for gaming but later became a leader in AI, data centers, and autonomous vehicle technology.
Amazon (1994, USA)
Amazon was founded in 1994 by Jeff Bezos as an online bookstore. It later expanded into e-commerce, cloud computing, and entertainment, becoming one of the biggest companies in the world.
Netflix (1997, USA)
Netflix was founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph. It started as a DVD rental service and later became the leading streaming platform, changing how people watch movies and TV shows.
Google (1998, USA)
Google was founded in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin while they were Ph.D. students at Stanford University. It started as a search engine and later expanded into YouTube, Gmail, Google Maps, Android, and AI.
Salesforce (1999, USA)
Salesforce was founded in 1999 by Marc Benioff, Parker Harris, Dave Moellenhoff, and Frank Dominguez. It became the world’s biggest provider of customer relationship management (CRM) software.
Tesla (2003, USA)
Tesla was founded in 2003 by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning. Elon Musk later joined and helped transform it into the most influential electric vehicle company in the world.
Facebook (2004, USA)
Facebook was founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg, Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz, and Chris Hughes. It became the most popular social media platform, later expanding into Instagram, WhatsApp, and virtual reality.
Twitter (2006, USA)
Twitter was founded in 2006 by Jack Dorsey, Noah Glass, Biz Stone, and Evan Williams. It became one of the most influential social media platforms for news and public discussions.
Airbnb (2008, USA)
Airbnb was founded in 2008 by Brian Chesky, Nathan Blecharczyk, and Joe Gebbia. It changed the travel industry by allowing people to rent out homes instead of staying in hotels.
Uber (2009, USA)
Uber was founded in 2009 by Garrett Camp and Travis Kalanick. It revolutionized the taxi industry by making ride-hailing easier through smartphones.
Zoom (2011, USA)
Zoom was founded in 2011 by Eric Yuan. It became the most popular video conferencing app, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Coinbase (2012, USA)
Coinbase was founded in 2012 by Brian Armstrong and Fred Ehrsam. It became one of the biggest cryptocurrency exchanges in the world.
TikTok (2016, China)
TikTok was founded in 2016 by Zhang Yiming through ByteDance. It became the fastest-growing social media app, popular for its short videos.
SThese companies have shaped the world through innovation, technology, and creativity, making them some of the most influential businesses in history.
