KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS NV

Founding and early expansion

Philips & Co. was founded in Eindhoven in 1891 by Gerard Philips and his father Frederik Philips to manufacture incandescent electric lamps. Gerard's younger brother Anton Philips joined the company in 1895 and helped expand its commercial operations.

The business was converted into N.V. Philips' Gloeilampenfabrieken on 11 September 1912. Philips opened its physics laboratory, later known as the NatLab, in 1914. Research at the laboratory contributed to the company's later work in lighting, radio technology and medical X-ray equipment.

Philips received the Dutch Royal designation from Queen Wilhelmina in 1916, although Koninklijke did not become part of the company's legal name until 1998. In 1924, Philips joined other major lamp manufacturers, including Osram, in the Phoebus cartel.

Radio and consumer products

In March 1927, experimental shortwave transmissions from the Philips laboratories in Eindhoven using the PCJJ transmitter were received in the Dutch East Indies. Philips subsequently participated in international shortwave broadcasting, including broadcasts associated with Philips Omroep Holland-Indië (PHOHI).

Eddie Startz began presenting the Happy Station through PCJJ in 1928. The program later continued on Dutch international radio after the Second World War.

During the 1930s, Philips expanded its consumer-electronics activities. In 1939, the company introduced the Philishave rotary electric shaver, invented by Philips engineer Alexandre Horowitz.

Stirling-engine research

Philips played a role in the 20th-century revival of the Stirling engine. During the 1930s, engineers at the company's research laboratory investigated the engine as a possible source of power for portable radio equipment in places where mains electricity or reliable batteries were unavailable.

Development continued during and after World War II. By the late 1940s, Philips had developed a generator set known as the MP1002CA, or "Bungalow set". Falling power requirements for transistor radios, however, reduced the commercial need for such generators.

Philips continued research into Stirling technology for several decades. One practical application was the reversed Stirling engine used as a cryocooler.

World War II

Following the German invasion of the Netherlands in May 1940, several senior Philips executives left the country, while Frits Philips, the son of Anton Philips, remained in Eindhoven.

On 6 December 1942, the Royal Air Force carried out Operation Oyster, a low-level bombing raid against Philips industrial sites in Eindhoven that were producing components used by the German war economy. The raid severely damaged Philips facilities and also caused substantial civilian casualties and destruction in surrounding parts of Eindhoven.

During the German occupation, a workshop staffed by Jewish prisoners operated at the Vught concentration camp for Philips-related production. Of 469 Jewish prisoners who worked there, 382 were alive at the end of the war. Frits Philips was later recognized by Yad Vashem as one of the Righteous Among the Nations for his efforts to protect Jewish workers.

Postwar expansion and consumer electronics

After World War II, Philips rebuilt and expanded its operations. The company became a major producer of televisions, audio equipment and other consumer electronics while continuing its activities in lighting and medical technology.

In August 1963, Philips introduced its first Compact Cassette recorder at the Funkausstellung exhibition in Berlin. The Compact Cassette subsequently became an international standard for recorded and recordable audio.

In the early 1970s, Philips introduced the N1500 videocassette recorder. The Science Museum Group describes the N1500 as the first practical domestic video recorder; it incorporated a television tuner and timer and recorded programs onto video cassettes.

During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Philips and Sony cooperated to standardize and commercialize the compact disc. Philips and Sony jointly developed the format, with the first commercial CD products appearing in 1982 and 1983.

Philips researcher Kees Schouhamer Immink developed the eight-to-fourteen modulation coding system adopted for the compact-disc standard.

Semiconductors and restructuring

In 1984, Philips and ASM International established ASM Lithography, later ASML, as a joint venture to commercialize wafer-stepper technology developed at Philips. The venture began operations on 1 April 1984.

In 1987, TSMC was founded as a joint venture among the government of the Republic of China, Philips and other private investors.

During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Philips underwent major restructuring following heavy losses. In 1990, under chief executive Jan Timmer, the company announced plans to cut about 10,000 jobs as part of a broad cost-reduction program.

In 1991, Digital Equipment Corporation agreed to acquire most of Philips' computer-systems division, including its minicomputer, networking and automated-teller-machine activities.

The legal name of the parent company changed from N.V. Philips' Gloeilampenfabrieken to Philips Electronics N.V. on 6 May 1994, to Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. on 1 April 1998, and to Koninklijke Philips N.V. on 15 May 2013.

In October 1997, the company's board decided to relocate the corporate headquarters from Eindhoven to Amsterdam. The relocation began in 1998.

In 2006, Philips separated its semiconductor activities. On 29 September 2006, it completed the sale of an 80.1% stake in its semiconductor business to a private-equity consortium consisting of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., Silver Lake Partners, Bain Capital, Apax Partners and AlpInvest Partners. The semiconductor company became NXP Semiconductors, while Philips initially retained a minority interest.

Shift to health technology

During the 2010s, Philips progressively reduced its involvement in several traditional consumer-electronics businesses and concentrated more heavily on health technology.

In April 2012, Philips completed the transfer of most of its television business to TP Vision, a joint venture initially owned 70% by TPV Technology and 30% by Philips.

Philips separated its lighting business in 2016. The independent company, Philips Lighting N.V., changed its name to Signify N.V. in May 2018 and continued to use the Philips brand for lighting products under a licensing agreement.

In September 2021, Philips completed the sale of its Domestic Appliances business to Hillhouse Investment. The transaction included a long-term licensing agreement allowing the independent company to continue using the Philips brand. In February 2023, the independent business adopted the name Versuni.

Roy Jakobs succeeded Frans van Houten as president and chief executive officer on 15 October 2022.

In January 2023, amid losses and difficulties associated with the Philips Respironics recall, Philips announced an additional 6,000 job cuts worldwide over two years, on top of 4,000 reductions announced in 2022.

By 2025, Philips reported three main business segments: Diagnosis & Treatment, Connected Care and Personal Health.

On 15 January 2026, Philips completed its acquisition of SpectraWAVE, a United States-based developer of coronary intravascular imaging and physiological-assessment technology. Philips included the acquired business in its Diagnosis & Treatment segment.