History of Amazon

Amazon was founded in 1994 in Bellevue, Washington by Jeff Bezos. His then-wife MacKenzie Scott was also instrumental in kickstarting operations in Amazon’s early days.

The company began as an humble online book marketplace. Over nearly three decades, it has tremendously diversified its business offerings.

Today, Amazon has established itself as a global, multi-sector conglomerate spanning:

• Online retail across product categories
• Cloud computing services
• Supermarket chains
• Consumer technology devices
• Media production and more

But it all started from modest beginnings – an idea from Jeff Bezos to sell books online fueled by dedication from early employees and family. This seed has now blossomed into one of the world’s most valuable companies.

List of Companies owned by Amazon: Founded in 1994 as an online bookstore, Amazon has grown into a global e-commerce and cloud computing giant. After going public in 1997 amid the dot-com boom, Amazon used IPO funds to begin acquiring companies. However, the 2000 dot-com crash severely impacted Amazon and its investments. To survive, Amazon limited acquisitions from 2000-2004.

Expansion resumed in 2005 with major digital and media deals. In 2011, Amazon shifted its acquisition strategy to technology startups – especially in voice computing and cloud services. This diversification peaked with 2017’s $13.7 billion purchase of grocery chain Whole Foods – Amazon’s largest deal ever. Through shifts in acquisition focus, Amazon successfully transformed itself from a niche online bookseller to an e-commerce conglomerate.

Today, Amazon’s empire spans web services, digital media, artificial intelligence, and logistics infrastructure among other sectors – built in part through strategic and timely acquisitions over its 28-year journey.