Koninklijke Philips N.V.
Medical Devices
Philips began in 1891 when Gerard Philips bought a bankrupt factory in Eindhoven to make carbon-filament lamps — and the company that would light the world nearly failed in its first year, saved only by his brother Anton's salesmanship. A century later, Philips had become one of the world's biggest electronics companies, with innovations ranging from the rotary electric shaver to the compact disc (developed with Sony).
Today Philips is a health technology company, having sold its lighting business (Signify), its semiconductor arm (NXP), and its consumer electronics lines to focus on healthcare. Its current portfolio spans diagnostic imaging (MRI, CT, and ultrasound machines), image-guided therapy (interventional X-ray systems for minimally invasive surgery), and personal health (electric toothbrushes under the Sonicare brand, male grooming, and home respiratory care for sleep apnea). Its hospital monitoring systems track patients in ICUs worldwide.
Headquartered in Amsterdam with about 69,000 employees and annual revenue near US$18 billion, Philips is navigating a difficult chapter — a massive recall of its sleep apnea devices triggered a global settlement and restructuring — while betting on connected care: devices that stream patient data to cloud platforms for AI-assisted diagnosis. For hospitals, Philips remains one of the 'big three' imaging suppliers alongside GE and Siemens Healthineers.
