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Fujitsu Limited

Company History

Fujitsu History: Founding, Growth & Key Milestones

Founded 1935 in Kawasaki, Japan

When was Fujitsu founded?

Fujitsu was founded in 1935 in Kawasaki, Japan by Furukawa Electric and Siemens & Halske, making it 91 years old.

Founded
1935
Founding place
Kawasaki, Japan
Founders
Furukawa Electric and Siemens & Halske
Headquarters today
Tokyo, Japan
Milestones documented
12 (1935–2026)
Current CEO
Takahito Tokita
Acquisitions
3
YearEvent
1935Fujitsu Founded
1954FACOM Computer Development
1990ICL Stake Acquired
1997Amdahl Fully Acquired
2009Fujitsu Siemens Computers Fully Acquired
2013Acquired RunMyProcess
2019Takahito Tokita Becomes President
2020Fugaku Tops TOP500
2021Fujitsu Uvance Launched
2024Horizon Scandal Scrutiny Intensifies
2025Shinko Electric Divested
2026Record Profit and Management Vision 2035
Where was Fujitsu founded?
Fujitsu was founded in Kawasaki, Japan in 1935. wikidata.org
Who founded Fujitsu?
Fujitsu was founded by Furukawa Electric and Siemens & Halske.
When did Fujitsu start?
Fujitsu was founded in 1935.
How old is Fujitsu?
Fujitsu is 91 years old as of 2026.

Founding Story

Fujitsu began on June 20, 1935, when Fuji Electric, itself a 1923 joint venture between Furukawa Electric and Germany's Siemens, spun off its telephone-equipment division as Fuji Tsushinki Seizo (Fuji Telecommunications Equipment Manufacturing). Its first business was switching equipment for Japan's telephone network. That electrical-switching expertise led to the FACOM 100 relay computer in 1954, and the company adopted the name Fujitsu Limited in 1967.

Founders

Furukawa Electric

Furukawa Electric is one of the massive core corporate entities of the Furukawa zaibatsu. In 1923, they aggressively partnered with the German industrial titan Siemens to form Fuji Electric, specifically to import advanced European electrical technology into a rapidly industrializing Japan. Fujitsu was later spun out of this venture to focus entirely on telecommunications.

Siemens & Halske

Siemens & Halske (now Siemens AG) provided the absolute critical advanced technology and patents required to establish Fuji Electric in Japan in 1923. This massive international joint venture laid the direct foundation for the creation of Fujitsu, providing the necessary engineering expertise to build Japan's modern telecommunications infrastructure.

Key Milestones

1935

Fujitsu Founded

Fujitsu began as Fuji Telecommunications Equipment Manufacturing, tied to Furukawa Electric and Siemens' Japanese telecommunications heritage.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
1954

FACOM Computer Development

Fujitsu helped establish Japan's computer industry through early FACOM systems.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
1990

ICL Stake Acquired

Fujitsu bought a majority stake in Britain's International Computers Limited (ICL), the base of its European services business and later the Horizon contract.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
1997

Amdahl Fully Acquired

Fujitsu bought the remaining shares of the US mainframe maker Amdahl in 1997.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
2009

Fujitsu Siemens Computers Fully Acquired

Fujitsu bought Siemens' half of Fujitsu Siemens Computers in 2009.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
2013

Acquired RunMyProcess

Fujitsu Limited acquired RunMyProcess. Fujitsu acquired RunMyProcess in 2013.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
2019

Takahito Tokita Becomes President

Takahito Tokita became president and later led the digital-services and portfolio-simplification strategy.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
2020

Fugaku Tops TOP500

Fugaku, built with RIKEN, ranked No. 1 on the TOP500 supercomputer list from June 2020 to November 2021.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
2021

Fujitsu Uvance Launched

Fujitsu launched the Uvance brand to package cross-industry digital services around sustainability and transformation.

Source: fujitsu.com
2024

Horizon Scandal Scrutiny Intensifies

The UK Post Office Horizon scandal kept attention on governance, quality, and accountability in Fujitsu's public-sector technology work.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
2025

Shinko Electric Divested

Fujitsu sold its stake in semiconductor-package maker Shinko Electric Industries to a consortium led by Japan Investment Corporation, further narrowing its portfolio.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
2026

Record Profit and Management Vision 2035

Fujitsu reported FY2025 revenue of ~$23.5B (JPY 3.503T) with a record ~$2.62B (JPY 390.5B) adjusted operating profit and unveiled Management Vision 2035.

Source: global.fujitsu

Major Acquisitions

International Computers Limited (ICL)

1990

Fujitsu bought an 80% stake in International Computers Limited (ICL), Britain's largest domestic computer maker, in 1990 and took full ownership in 1998.

RunMyProcess

2013

Fujitsu acquired RunMyProcess in 2013.

Fujitsu Siemens Computers (Siemens' 50% stake)

2009

Fujitsu bought out Siemens' half of the Fujitsu Siemens Computers joint venture, renaming it Fujitsu Technology Solutions.

Keep researching Fujitsu

Fujitsu Company History FAQ

When was Fujitsu founded and what was its original telecommunications breakthrough?

Fujitsu was founded on June 20, 1935, in Kawasaki, Japan, as Fuji Tsushinki Seizo KK. It pioneered Japan's domestic telephone switching equipment, developing the country's first domestic automatic telephone exchange systems.

When did Fujitsu develop Japan's first commercial digital computer (FACOM 100)?

In 1954, Fujitsu engineered the FACOM 100, Japan's first commercial relay-based digital computer, spearheaded by engineer Dr. Toshio Ikeda, launching Japan's domestic information technology industry.

When did the company officially adopt the name Fujitsu Limited?

In 1967, Fuji Tsushinki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha officially changed its corporate name to Fujitsu Limited (Fujitsu Kabushiki Kaisha), adopting its globally recognized brand identity.

When did Fujitsu become Japan's top computer maker?

By the late 1970s, on the strength of its FACOM M-series IBM-compatible mainframes, Fujitsu had overtaken IBM Japan in domestic computer sales.

When did Fujitsu and RIKEN launch the K computer and Fugaku supercomputers?

Fujitsu and RIKEN launched the K computer in 2011 (the first computer to achieve 10 petaflops), followed by Fugaku in 2020, which captured the world #1 spot on the TOP500 rankings with unprecedented 442 petaflops performance.

When did Fujitsu launch its flagship global business brand 'Fujitsu Uvance'?

In October 2021, CEO Takahito Tokita launched Fujitsu Uvance, unifying Fujitsu's global technology portfolio to deliver sustainability transformation and digital consulting across vertical global industries.

When did Fujitsu introduce its enterprise AI platform 'Fujitsu Kozuchi'?

In April 2023, Fujitsu launched Fujitsu Kozuchi, an AI platform that provides enterprises with pre-tested generative AI, automated machine learning, and computer vision tools for rapid commercial deployment.

How did Fujitsu start?

Fujitsu was founded in 1935 as a spin-off from Fuji Electric. Originally called Fuji Telecommunications Equipment Manufacturing, it was established in a massive joint venture with the German company Siemens to build telephone switches and telegraph equipment before aggressively entering the computer mainframe market in the 1950s.

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Content is for informational purposes only. Not financial advice. Data sourced from SEC filings, annual reports, and public records. See our full disclaimer and methodology.