COMPANY·HISTORIES

Austria

Companies based in Austria, and the events that shaped them.

15companies1819–1997founding years15still active0no longer operating
§ 01

Austria companies over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedErste Bank der Osterreichischen Sparkassen AG
1819
FoundedJulius Meinl International AG
1862
FoundedÖSTERREICHISCHE POST- UND TELEGRAPHENVERWALTUNG
1866
FoundedÖSTERREICHISCHE BUNDESBAHNEN GmbH
1882
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression spreads worldwide.
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
FoundedAustrian Airlines AG (Österreichische Luftverkehrs AG)
1957
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; currencies float.
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
FoundedZumtobel AG
1976
FoundedLauda Air Luftfahrt AG
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher worldwide.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
FoundedRed Bull GmbH
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
FoundedRHI AG
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall sharply around the world.
FoundedBBAG Osterreichische Brau-Beteiligungs-AG
1988
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
FoundedGericom AG
1990
FoundedBank Austria AG
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
TechnologyLinux and open source challenge proprietary software.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1994
TechnologyE-commerce begins to disrupt retail.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
FoundedVA TECH ELIN EBG GmbH
1997
EconomyThe Asian financial crisis rattles global markets.
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2000
EconomyThe dot-com bubble bursts.
2002
EconomyThe euro enters circulation across the eurozone.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2008
EconomyThe global financial crisis freezes credit worldwide.
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

AKG Acoustics GmbH →
Active · Austria
Founded: 1947 Employees: 576 Sales: EUR 90 million ($109.7 million) (2003) NAIC: 334310 Audio and Video Equipment…
Wienerberger AG →
Active · Austria
Founded: 1819 Employees: 12,000 Sales: EUR 1.76 billion ($2.2 billion) (2003) Stock Exchanges: Vienna Ticker Symbol:…
Erste Bank der Osterreichischen Sparkassen AG →
Active · founded 1819 · Austria
Total Assets: $167.89 billion (2003) Stock Exchanges: Vienna Ticker Symbol: EBS NAIC: 522110 Commercial Banking Erste…
Julius Meinl International AG →
Active · founded 1862 · Austria
With a history spanning nearly 150 years, Julius Meinl International AG has pulled an about-face for the new century.
ÖSTERREICHISCHE POST- UND TELEGRAPHENVERWALTUNG →
Active · founded 1866 · Austria
The title of the Austrian Postal and Telegraph Department, Österreichische Post- und Telegraphenverwaltung (PTV),…
ÖSTERREICHISCHE BUNDESBAHNEN GmbH →
Active · founded 1882 · Austria
Revenues: S 38.4 billion Österreichische Bundesbahnen, the company that maintains and runs the Austrian railway…
Austrian Airlines AG (Österreichische Luftverkehrs AG) →
Active · founded 1957 · Austria
Austrian Airlines AG (Österreichische Luftverkehrs AG) has traditionally been known as 'little brother' to its German…
Zumtobel AG →
Active · founded 1976 · Austria
Zumtobel AG has emerged as Europe's leading supplier of commercial, industrial and public sector lighting fixtures and…
Lauda Air Luftfahrt AG →
Active · founded 1979 · Austria
Lauda Air Luftfahrt AG is a unit of Austrian Airlines Group specializing in charters and Far East travel.
Red Bull GmbH →
Active · founded 1984 · Austria
Red Bull made its first forays into the southern hemisphere, via South Africa and Brazil, in 2001.
RHI AG →
Active · founded 1987 · Austria
RHI AG is the world's top manufacturer of heat-resistant refractory products, with a global market share of some 15…
BBAG Osterreichische Brau-Beteiligungs-AG →
Active · founded 1988 · Austria
Linz, Austria's BBAG Österreichische Brau-Beteiligungs AG has been slaking its thirst for growth through a series of…
Gericom AG →
Active · founded 1990 · Austria
Fast-rising Gericom AG aims to become Europe's leading manufacturer and distributor of mobile computing and…
Bank Austria AG →
Active · founded 1991 · Austria
Total Assets: AS 1.4 trillion (US$109 billion) (1997) Stock Exchanges: Brussels Paris Vienna SICs: 6021 National…
VA TECH ELIN EBG GmbH →
Active · founded 1997 · Austria
VA TECH ELIN EBG GmbH (VTEE) is the infrastructure and industrial services arm of Austria's VA Technologie AG.
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