COMPANYHISTORIES
NAIC 334510

Laser Equipment, Electromedical, Manufacturing

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

26companies1892–1998founding years26still active0no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedGeneral Electric Company
1892
FoundedEastman Kodak Company
1901
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
FoundedFresenius AG
1912
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedC.R. Bard, Inc.
1923
FoundedBrannock Device Company
1927
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
FoundedHewlett-Packard Company
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
FoundedMedtronic, Inc.
1957
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedAgfa Gevaert Group N.V.FoundedDatascope CorporationFoundedInvivo Corporation
1964
FoundedCoherent, Inc.FoundedSiemens AG
1966
FoundedCandela Corporation
1970
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
FoundedColorado MEDtech, Inc.
1977
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
TechnologyThe first US in-vitro fertilization baby is born.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
FoundedVISX, Incorporated
1987
FoundedSabratek Corporation
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
FoundedSonic Innovations Inc.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
FoundedGuidant Corporation
1994
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
1997
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

General Electric Company →
Active · founded 1892
The history of General Electric Company is a significant part of the history of technology in the United States.
Eastman Kodak Company →
Active · founded 1901
A multinational corporation whose name and film products are familiar to photographers around the world, Eastman Kodak…
Fresenius AG →
Active · founded 1912 · Germany
Fresenius AG is a global, diversified manufacturer of health care products and provider of health care services with…
Terumo Corporation →
Active · founded 1921 · Japan
Based in Tokyo, Terumo Corporation is Japan's largest manufacturer of medical supplies.
C.R. Bard, Inc. →
Active · founded 1923
C.R.
Brannock Device Company →
Active · founded 1927
Designed in 1927, the Brannock Device quickly became a ubiquitous but publicly unheralded product.
Konica Corporation →
Active · founded 1936 · Japan
Konica Corporation produces a wide range of products, mainly within the imaging sphere.
Hewlett-Packard Company →
Active · founded 1947
Since merging in 2002, Hewlett-Packard (HP) and Compaq have created the new HP (Hewlett-Packard Company), serving more…
Medtronic, Inc. →
Active · founded 1957
Medtronic, Inc.
Spacelabs Medical, Inc. →
Active · founded 1958
Spacelabs Medical, Inc., wholly owned by OSI Systems, Inc., is a leading global provider of patient monitoring systems…
Agfa Gevaert Group N.V. →
Active · founded 1964 · Belgium
One of the world's most renowned names in photographic films and equipment, Belgium-based Agfa Gevaert Group N.V.
Datascope Corporation →
Active · founded 1964
Datascope Corporation is a leading maker of medical devices for cardiac patients.
Gambro AB →
Active · founded 1964 · Sweden
Sweden's Gambro AB specializes in renal care products, services, and equipment.
Invivo Corporation →
Active · founded 1964
Invivo Corporation touts itself as the leading producer of vital signs monitoring devices used during magnetic…
Coherent, Inc. →
Active · founded 1966
Coherent, Inc.
Siemens AG →
Active · founded 1966 · Germany
Founded to manufacture and install telegraphic systems, Germany-based Siemens AG has prospered and grown over 155 years…
Starkey Laboratories, Inc. →
Active · founded 1967
Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
Candela Corporation →
Active · founded 1970
Candela Corporation, located in Wayland, Massachusetts, designs, manufactures, and markets laser systems for use in a…
Colorado MEDtech, Inc. →
Active · founded 1977
Colorado MEDtech, Inc.
Acuson Corporation →
Active · founded 1981
Acuson Corporation is one of the top manufacturers of ultrasound imaging equipment for medical diagnosis.
VISX, Incorporated →
Active · founded 1987
VISX, Incorporated is the leading designer, manufacturer, and marketer of laser vision correction systems.
Sabratek Corporation →
Active · founded 1989
Sabratek Corporation designs and manufactures therapeutic and diagnostic medical systems and products for the…
COBE Cardiovascular, Inc. →
Active · founded 1990
COBE Cardiovascular, Inc.
Sonic Innovations Inc. →
Active · founded 1991
Sonic Innovations Inc.
Guidant Corporation →
Active · founded 1994
Guidant Corporation is a leading designer and developer of cardiovascular medical products, marketing a variety of…
SonoSite, Inc. →
Active · founded 1998
SonoSite, Inc.
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