Pioneer's history goes back to 1937, when its founder, Nozomu Matsumoto, developed Japan's first dynamic speaker after years of trials and setbacks.It was the culmination of his passion and dedication to emulate great-sounding speakers imported from abroad.
Since then, Pioneer, true to its name, has been at the forefront of driving innovation to bring the world's first products and services to people around the world. Explore Pioneer's history.
| 1937 | Pioneer's founder, Nozomu Matsumoto, develops the A-8 dynamic speaker. | |
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| 1938 | Jan. | Fukuin Shokai Denki Seisakusho (precursor of Pioneer) is founded. |
| 1947 | May | Fukuin Denki Kabushiki Kaisha is incorporated. |
| 1953 | Dec. | Introduced Hi-Fi Speaker PE-8. |
| 1961 | Jun. | Company name changed to Pioneer Electronic Corporation (now Pioneer Corporation). |
| Oct. | Shares are listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Second Section. | |
| 1962 | Jun. | Introduce the world's first separate stereo system. |
| 1966 | Mar. | Establish sales subsidiaries in Europe and the U.S. |
| 1968 | Feb. | Shares are listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange First Section. |
| 1975 | Nov. | Introduce the world's first component car stereo. |
| 1977 | Dec. | Introduce the world's first two-way addressable CATV system in the U.S. (with Warner Cable). |
| 1979 | Feb. | Introduce Industrial-use laser optical video disc player. |
| 1980 | Jun. | Introduce VP-1000 LD player for home use in the U.S. |
| 1984 | Oct. | Introduce the world's first car CD player. |
| 1990 | Jun. | Introduce the world's first GPS car navigation system for consumer market. |
| 1992 | Oct. | Introduce the world's first 4x speed CD-ROM changer. |
| 1996 | Dec. | Introduce DVD player and the world's first DVD/LD/CD compatible player for home use. |
| 1997 | Jun. | Introduce the world's first DVD-based car navigation system. |
| Oct. | Introduce the world's first DVD-R drive. | |
| Nov. | Introduce the world's first OLED-equipped car audio product. | |
| Dec. | Introduce the world's first 50-inch high-definition XGA plasma display for consumer use. | |
| 1998 | Jun. | Introduce the world's first DVD-based GPS car navigation system featuring 8.5GB dual-layered DVD disc. |
| Oct. | Introduce new corporate logo. | |
| 1999 | Dec. | Introduce the world's first DVD recorder. |
| 2001 | Jun. | Introduce HDD-based GPS car navigation system. |
| 2002 | Nov. | Introduce a car navigation system with built-in wireless communication module. |
| 2004 | Jul. | Introduce the world's first DVD player for professional DJs and VJs. |
| 2006 | Jun. | Introduce the world's first 50-inch 1080p plasma display. |
| 2008 | Jul. | Succeed in developing the world's first 16-layer BD-compatible optical disc with 400GB. |
| Sep. | Introduce speaker unit PE-101A to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the foundation. | |
| 2009 | Sep. | All of Pioneer's main production sites in Japan obtain the certification of ISO14001. |
| 2010 | Feb. | Introduce the world's first speaker with HVT (Horizontal-Vertical Transforming) technology. |
| May | Pioneer has formulated a new group vision : "Spread the smiles. Feel the vibes. Share the passion. Pioneer engages you anytime, anywhere." Group Vision |
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| 2011 | Apr. | NTT DOCOMO, Inc. starts "docomo Drive NetTM" navigation service for smart phone. |
| May | Introduce car navigation system with augmented reality(AR) scouter mode. | |
| 2012 | Jul. | Introduce the world's first car navigation system with the Head-Up Display to project augmented reality information. |
| Oct. | Start shipping of OLED lighting panel with color-mixing and dimming fuction which achieved high brightness and high luminous efficiency. | |
| 2013 | Mar. | ROHM Co., Ltd. and Pioneer suceeed in terahertz imaging using small semiconductor element "resonant tunneling diode." |
| Sep. | Introduce the world first wireless portable BD/DVD/CD writer drive. Introduce the world first pedaling monitor system which visualizes cyclists' pedaling. |
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| 2014 | Mar. | Start mass production of the world's first dimming and color tuning-type OLED lighting panel module with a wet coating process for a light-emitting layer. |
| Sep. | Pioneer forms business alliance with Treasure Data to develop big data‐driven services for the automotive industry. | |
| Dec. | Start shipping of medical laser blood flow meters to JMS Co., Ltd. | |
| 2015 | Jan. | Launch Vehicle Assist, car solution system for fleet vehicles. |
| Mar. | Pioneer announced subscription to the new shares of common stock of Onkyo Corporation and the completion of the transfer of Pioneer Group's home AV business, phone business and headphone-related business to the Onkyo Group. Pioneer and KKR agreed with the Pioneer DJ share purchase. |
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| May | Pioneer formed a business alliance with RecoChoku Co., Ltd. on Flat-rate system music streaming service for cars. | |
| Jun. | Pioneer formed a business alliance with Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Co., Ltd. in Telematics Service Business. | |
| Aug. | Pioneer developed of a dimming and color tuning-type OLED lighting panel with a wet coating process for a light-emitting layer. | |
| Sep. | Pioneer formed a business alliance with Baidu in the field of telematics in China. | |
| Nov. | Pioneer collaborated on ADAS-related technologies with a venture company, an affiliate of Tsinghua University Suzhou Automotive Research Institute in China. | |
| 2016 | Nov. | Develop advanced driving assist system Intelligent Pilot for on-the-road vehicles. |
| Dec. | Develop a Driver Monitoring System that detects and awakens driver's drowsiness at an early stage. Start shipping medical electronic stethoscope. |
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| 2017 | Jan. | Pioneer and KonicaMinolta, Inc. entered into an agreement to establish a joint venture for Organic Light Emitting Diode(OLED) lighting business. |
| Feb. | Introduce the world's first BD writer compatible with Ultra HD Blu-ray. | |
| Sep. | Release in-vehicle 3D-LiDAR sensor sample using MEMS mirror. Business/capital alliance between Pioneer and HERE Technologies. |
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| 2018 | Jan. | Pioneer commemorates the 80th anniversary of its foundation on January 1. Releases to commemorate Pioneer's 80th anniversary. ・CyberNavi X Series AVIC-CZ902XS-80 (May) ・Evolution Series TAD-ME1-80 bookshelf speaker system & others (May) ・DXT-P99RS-80 car audio package for overseas markets (Sep.) |
| Jun. | Releases the CyberNavi X Series boasting overwhelming audio performance. | |
| Sep. | Starts shipment of the MEMS mirror-type 3D-LiDAR sensor of differing measurement distance. | |
| Sep. | Pioneer and Tokyo Medical and Dental University jointly develop a high-sensitive optical bio-sniffer module for exhaled breath acetone concentration measurement. |
