Pioneer Corporation

This article is about the Japanese company. For other companies, see Pioneer (disambiguation) § Companies and organizations.
Pioneer Corporation
Native name
パイオニア株式会社
Paionia kabushiki gaisha
Company typePrivate KK
IndustryConsumer electronics
Founded1 January 1938; 86 years ago (1938-01-01) in Tokyo, Japan
FounderNozomu Matsumoto
Headquarters28-8, Honkomagome 2-chome, Bunkyō, Tokyo 113-0021,
Japan
Key people
Shiro Yahara[1]
(President＆CEO)
ProductsCar audio and automotive navigation systems, Televisions (CRT Lens and Plasma, former product), PC DVD drives including PC DVD recorders, "set-top" DVD players and DVD recorders, Misc. DJ equipment
RevenueDecrease ¥365,417 million Yen (2018)[2]
Decrease ¥1,194 million Yen (2017)
Decrease ¥−7,123 million Yen (2017)
Number of employees
16,763 (2017)
WebsitePioneer Corporation (Japan)
Pioneer global network

Pioneer Corporation (パイオニア株式会社, Paionia Kabushiki-gaisha), commonly referred to as Pioneer, is a Japanese multinational corporation based in Tokyo, that specializes in digital entertainment products. The company was founded by Nozomu Matsumoto on January 1, 1938 in Tokyo as a radio and speaker repair shop. Its current president is Shiro Yahara.

Pioneer played a role in the development of interactive cable TV, the LaserDisc player, the first automotive Compact Disc player, the first detachable face car stereo, Supertuner technology, DVD and DVD recording, the first AV receiver with Dolby Digital, plasma display (with the last 2 years of plasma models being branded as Kuro, lauded for their outstanding black levels) and Organic LED display (OLED). The company works with optical disc and display technology and software products and is also a manufacturer. BMW, Volkswagen Group and Daimler AG of Germany jointly acquired a 3% ownership stake in Pioneer through a joint venture company called Here B.V. Most of Pioneer's shares are held by Mitsubishi.

In March 2010, Pioneer stopped producing televisions as announced on 12 February 2009.[3] On June 25, 2009, Sharp Corporation agreed to form a joint venture on their optical business to be called Pioneer Digital Design and Manufacturing Corporation.[4] In September 2014, Pioneer agreed to sell Pioneer Home Electronics (Home A/V) to Onkyo, and in March 2015, Pioneer sold its DJ equipment business division to KKR, which resulted in the establishment of Pioneer DJ as a separate entity, independent of Pioneer. In June 2021, Voxx International announced that it had finalized a licensing agreement with the Pioneer and Pioneer Elite brands "for all markets, except China" as part of their acquisition of Onkyo.[5]

  1. ^ "Message from the President". Pioneer Corporation. Retrieved 2024-01-07.
  2. ^ "Annual Report 2018" (PDF). Pioneer Corporation. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 August 2023. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
  3. ^ Lawler, Richard (12 February 2009). "Pioneer officially leaving the TV biz by March 2010, focusing on audio". Engadget.com. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  4. ^ "Pioneer and Sharp Sign Contract for Optical Disk Joint Venture" (PDF). Pioneer.jp (Press release). Tokyo: Pioneer Corporation, Sharp Corporation. 25 June 2009. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  5. ^ Green, Ted (2021-06-29). "Voxx Announces Final Deal to Acquire Onkyo, with a Twist". Strata Gee.