Sony
In 1946, Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo K.K. (Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corporation, The predecessor of Sony Group Corporation) started as a small company with capital of just 190,000 yen and approximately 20 employees.
In 1952, when Sony's founder, Masaru Ibuka learned that Western Electric was going to release its transistor patents to the public for a fee, he decided to take on the challenge of developing a portable transistor radio. In 1955, Sony released Japan's first transistor radio, the TR-55. The introduction of the TR-55 marked the rebirth of the radio as a portable device.
In 1979 Sony released the TPS-L2, the first model of the first-generation Walkman personal cassette stereos, becoming a huge sucess for the company.
Symbolizing Sony's spirit of challenge to "do what has never been done before," the company has continued to release countless "Japan's first" and "world's first" products.
