KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS NV
Koninklijke Philips N.V., commonly known as Philips, is a Dutch multinational health technology company and former major consumer electronics manufacturer. The company was founded in Eindhoven in 1891 by Gerard Philips and his father Frederik Philips to manufacture incandescent light bulbs. In October 1997, Philips decided to move its corporate headquarters from Eindhoven to Amsterdam, with the relocation beginning the following year. The company's headquarters remain in Amsterdam. Philips was awarded the Dutch Royal designation by Queen Wilhelmina in 1916; Koninklijke became part of the company name in 1998.
Basic company information
Each field links to its source. Financial figures retain their reporting periods; background references are identified in the source list.
- Business sectors
- consumer electronics industry; electronics industry; electrical industry [1]
- Company / filing name
- KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS NV [2]
- Headquarters location
- Amsterdam [1]
- Founded
- 1891-05-15 [1]
- Legal form
- naamloze vennootschap; public company [1]
- Leadership in background record
- Roy Jakobs [1]
- Founders
- Gerard Philips; Frederik Philips [1]
- Official website
- https://philips.ae; https://philips.at; https://philips.bg; https://philips.co.id; https://philips.co.jp; https://philips.co.nz [1]
- Employees
- 81,592 · reported year 2020 [1]
- Annual revenue
- EUR 17,156,000,000 · reported year 2021 [1]
- ISIN (reported securities)
- NL0000009538 [1]
- CIK
- 313216 [2]
- Country in background record
- Netherlands [1]
- Symbols / exchanges
- PHG (NYSE), RYLPF (OTC) [2]
Company positioning and business
Koninklijke Philips N.V., commonly known as Philips, is a Dutch multinational health technology company and former major consumer electronics manufacturer. The company was founded in Eindhoven in 1891 by Gerard Philips and his father Frederik Philips to manufacture incandescent light bulbs. In October 1997, Philips decided to move its corporate headquarters from Eindhoven to Amsterdam, with the relocation beginning the following year. The company's headquarters remain in Amsterdam. Philips was awarded the Dutch Royal designation by Queen Wilhelmina in 1916; Koninklijke became part of the company name in 1998. [3]
Through the 20th century, Philips developed into a large electronics conglomerate, producing products ranging from kitchen appliances and electric shavers to lighting equipment and televisions. Philips introduced the compact cassette format, which became a widely adopted standard for tape recording. The company later collaborated with Sony in developing the compact disc standard. Philips also became a major participant in the entertainment industry through its controlling interest in PolyGram, which it sold to Seagram in 1998. [3]
From the 2010s, Philips progressively shifted its focus toward health technology. Its television business was transferred to the TP Vision joint venture in 2012. Its lighting business was separated from Philips in 2016 and renamed Signify in 2018. Philips completed the sale of its Domestic Appliances business in 2021; the independent company was renamed Versuni in 2023. [3]
Background text: Wikipedia contributors, Philips. Selected introductory paragraphs, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Official filing data is cited separately.
Management and corporate governance
The Wikidata background record identifies Roy Jakobs in the chief-executive role. This background entry is not an official confirmation of the current board or executive roster. [1]
Understanding company scale
Employees: 81,592 · reported year 2020. [1]
Annual revenue: EUR 17,156,000,000 · reported year 2021. [1]
Financial year, securities and disclosures
Listed securities: PHG (NYSE), RYLPF (OTC). Multiple symbols may represent different share classes or securities of the same registrant. [2]
History and key events
Founding / inception date recorded in Wikidata. [1]
Financial results and regulatory disclosures
No individual financial documents have been indexed yet. Open the source to consult company disclosures. [2]
Related entities and concepts
Frequently asked questions
When was KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS NV founded?
Founded: 1891-05-15. The linked source provides the background record. [1]
Where is the headquarters of KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS NV?
Headquarters location: Amsterdam. The linked source provides the background record. [1]
Which business sectors are recorded for KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS NV?
Business sectors: consumer electronics industry; electronics industry; electrical industry. The linked source provides the background record. [1]
Sources and review dates
- Wikidata — company background record (CC0) ↗
- Company identity and profile data ↗
- Wikipedia contributors — Philips (CC BY-SA 4.0) ↗
Reviewed 23 October 2026. Financial periods and historical event dates are shown separately. Figures reflect their stated source dates; this page is not a live quote or investment recommendation.