AI Sector Overviews Articles and Reports

American Express began as a freight forwarding company in the mid-19th century. Expanding over time to include financial products and travel services, American Express today reports some 114 million cards in force and $1.2 trillion in billed business worldwide. 

The Walt Disney Company began in 1923 as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio. By 1940, Walt Disney Productions issued its first stock. Today, the multinational family entertainment and media conglomerate is one of the Big 6 media companies. 

Nike was founded as Blue Ribbon Sports in 1964 and originally operated as a distributor for athletic shoes made by a Japanese firm. By 1971, Nike sold its own line of shoes and began using the company’s iconic Swoosh design. By the time Nike went public in 1980, the company had achieved a 50% market share in its domestic athletic shoe market.   

AT&T traces its history to 1875 when Bell Telephone was founded soon after Alexander Graham Bell patented his invention of the telephone. Today, AT&T is the world’s largest telecom and the largest mobile telephone service provider in the US. 

Founded in 1977 by a team of engineers led by Larry Ellison, Oracle became the world's largest database management company by 1987. Today, Oracle claims a long list of innovations including:

Airbnb started with two roommates, three air mattresses, and expensive San Francisco rent. In late September 2007, Joe Gebbia hatched the idea to Brian Chesky: rent out air mattresses to young designers in town for a conference. They would include internet, a workspace, breakfast, and a roof over their heads.

Square is a financial services company that aims to “build common business tools in unconventional ways so more people can start, run and grow their businesses.” Founded in 2009 in San Francisco by Twitter Co-Founder Jack Dorsey and Jim McKelvey, Square reports total net revenue of $9.5 billion for 2020.

Amazon is the largest online retailer in the world by market cap. Founded in 1994 in Seattle, Washington, as a book-selling platform, Amazon has become a household name offering a wide variety of products and services. As of 2020, online retail product sales account for most of the company's net revenues, followed by third-party retail seller services, Amazon Web Services, and subscription services.