Philips

Philips currently employs around 80,000 people across 100 countries. The company gained its royal honorary title (hence the Koninklijke) in 1998 and dropped the “Electronics” in its name in 2013. Due to its refocusing from consumer electronics to healthcare technology.

The company started making electric shavers in 1939 under the Philishave and Norelco brands. And post-war it developed the Compact Cassette, an audiotape format. And co-developed the compact disc format with Sony, as well as numerous other technologies. As of 2012, Philips was the largest manufacturer of lighting in the world as measured by applicable revenues.

It has a primary listing on the Euronext Amsterdam stock exchange and is a component of the Euro Stoxx 50 stock market index. It has a secondary listing on the New York Stock Exchange. Acquisitions include that of Signetics and Magnavox. It also founded a multidisciplinary sports club called PSV Eindhoven in 1913.