AstraZeneca vs BYD: Founders, CEOs and History

Company facts

Founders

CEOs and their tenures

Timeline: AstraZeneca and BYD side by side

1. 1913AstraZeneca

   Astra AB Founded in Södertälje, Sweden

   400 doctors and apothecaries establish Astra AB to manufacture pharmaceuticals for the Swedish market, creating the foundation for what would become one of Europe's largest drug companies.

2. 1993AstraZeneca

   Zeneca Group Spun Off from ICI

   Imperial Chemical Industries demerges its pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals businesses to form Zeneca Group PLC, with initial products including Zestril, Nolvadex, and Zoladex generating approximately $3.2 billion in annual sales.

3. 1995BYD

   BYD founded in Shenzhen

   Wang Chuanfu and his cousin Lu Xiangyang start BYD in Shenzhen with about 20 employees, making rechargeable batteries for mobile phones.

4. 1999AstraZeneca

   Astra and Zeneca Merge to Form AstraZeneca

   The all-share merger of equals completes on 6 April 1999, creating AstraZeneca PLC.

5. 2000AstraZeneca

   Nexium Launch Replaces Prilosec

   AstraZeneca launches Nexium (esomeprazole), the single-isomer successor to Losec/Prilosec, in Europe in 2000 and in the United States in 2001 after FDA approval on 20 February 2001.

6. 2000BYD

   Becomes a leading NiCd battery maker

   BYD becomes one of the world's largest makers of nickel-cadmium batteries, supplying major electronics brands.

7. 2002BYD

   Hong Kong listing

   BYD lists its H shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under stock code 1211.

8. 2003BYD

   Buys Qinchuan and enters the car business

   BYD acquires a controlling stake in Xi'an Qinchuan Automobile for about $37.4 million (CN¥269 million), gaining a car production licence and factory.

9. 2006AstraZeneca

   Acquisition of Cambridge Antibody Technology

   AstraZeneca agrees in May 2006 to buy Cambridge Antibody Technology for 1,320 pence a share, valuing the UK biotech at 702 million pounds or about $1.32 billion.

10. 2007AstraZeneca

    Acquisition of MedImmune for $15.6 Billion

    AstraZeneca acquires MedImmune for $15.6 billion, entering the biologics market and gaining the Synagis respiratory syncytial virus franchise and antibody technology platforms. The Gaithersburg facility becomes one of three global R&D centres.

11. 2008BYD

    Berkshire Hathaway takes about 10%

    Berkshire Hathaway's MidAmerican Energy invests $232 million for about 10% of BYD, giving the company international credibility.

12. 2008BYD

    Launches the F3DM plug-in hybrid

    BYD launches the F3DM, the world's first mass-produced plug-in hybrid car, two years before the Chevrolet Volt.

13. 2010BYD

    Denza joint venture with Daimler

    BYD and Daimler set up Denza as a 50:50 joint venture to build premium electric cars in China.

14. 2011BYD

    Launches the e6 and lists in Shenzhen

    BYD launches the e6 electric crossover, first used as a taxi in Shenzhen, and lists A shares on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange (002594).

15. 2012AstraZeneca

    Pascal Soriot Appointed CEO

    Pascal Soriot joins AstraZeneca as Chief Executive Officer on October 1, 2012, with a base salary of $1.4 million and a mandate to reverse declining revenue and R&D productivity through science-led investment.

16. 2014AstraZeneca

    Pfizer Hostile Takeover Rejected

    AstraZeneca's board rejects a $117 billion hostile takeover offer from Pfizer, with Soriot arguing that the undervaluation would destroy long-term shareholder value and pipeline potential.

17. 2014AstraZeneca

    Acquisition of Almirall Respiratory Portfolio

    AstraZeneca acquires the respiratory portfolio of Spanish pharmaceutical company Almirall for approximately $2.1 billion, strengthening the company's position in COPD and asthma with products including Eklira and pipeline candidates that become Breztri.

18. 2015AstraZeneca

    Tagrisso Approved for EGFR-Mutated Lung Cancer

    The FDA approves Tagrisso (osimertinib) in November 2015 for metastatic EGFR T790M mutation-positive non-small cell lung cancer, the first product from Soriot's reinvestment strategy to reach market.

19. 2017AstraZeneca

    Imfinzi Approved Based on PACIFIC Trial

    The FDA approves Imfinzi (durvalumab) for unresectable stage III non-small cell lung cancer after chemoradiation, based on PACIFIC trial data showing survival benefits.

20. 2020AstraZeneca

    COVID-19 Vaccine Development with Oxford University

    AstraZeneca partners with the University of Oxford to develop and manufacture the Vaxzevria COVID-19 vaccine, distributing billions of doses globally at nonprofit pricing during the pandemic peak.

21. 2020BYD

    Launches the Blade Battery

    BYD introduces the Blade Battery, an LFP cell-to-pack design that passes the nail penetration test without fire.

22. 2021AstraZeneca

    Acquisition of Alexion Pharmaceuticals for $39 Billion

    AstraZeneca completes the $39 billion acquisition of Alexion on July 21, 2021, entering the rare disease market with Soliris and Ultomiris and creating a dedicated rare disease unit headquartered in Boston.

23. 2022BYD

    Ends combustion-only car production

    In March 2022 BYD stops making combustion-only passenger cars and focuses entirely on battery EVs and plug-in hybrids.

24. 2023AstraZeneca

    CinCor Pharma Acquired for up to $1.8 Billion

    AstraZeneca agrees on 9 January 2023 to acquire CinCor Pharma for up to $1.8 billion, $26 per share in cash plus a $10 per share contingent value right, to gain baxdrostat, an aldosterone synthase inhibitor for resistant hypertension.

25. 2023BYD

    Passes Tesla in quarterly BEV sales

    BYD sells 3.02 million new energy vehicles in 2023, and its 526,409 battery EVs in the fourth quarter top Tesla's 484,507 for the first time in a quarter.

26. 2024AstraZeneca

    Total Revenue Reaches $54.073 Billion

    AstraZeneca reports Total Revenue of $54.073 billion for fiscal year 2024, an 18% increase at actual rates and 21% at constant exchange rates, with 16 blockbuster medicines, 74 regulatory events, and 24 pipeline progression events.

27. 2024AstraZeneca

    Fusion Pharmaceuticals and Gracell Acquisitions

    AstraZeneca acquires Fusion Pharmaceuticals for $2 billion to access radiopharmaceutical technology and Gracell Biotechnologies for $1.2 billion for cell therapy manufacturing, expanding modality diversity into radiopharmaceuticals and CAR-T.

28. 2024BYD

    Takes full ownership of Denza

    Mercedes-Benz sells its last 10% of Denza in July 2024, leaving BYD as the sole shareholder of its premium brand.

29. 2025AstraZeneca

    Total Revenue Reaches $58.739 Billion

    AstraZeneca reports Total Revenue of $58.739 billion for fiscal year 2025, an 8% increase at constant exchange rates, with 16 positive Phase III readouts, 43 major market approvals, and a commitment to invest $50 billion in U.S. manufacturing by 2030.

30. 2025AstraZeneca

    EsoBiotec Acquired for Up to $1 Billion

    AstraZeneca acquires Belgian biotech EsoBiotec for up to $1 billion to access in vivo cell therapy technology, eliminating the need for ex vivo manufacturing in CAR-T therapies.

31. 2025AstraZeneca

    $50 Billion US Manufacturing and R&D Commitment

    AstraZeneca announces on 21 July 2025 that it will invest $50 billion in United States manufacturing and research by 2030, including a new Virginia facility later raised to $4.5 billion.

32. 2025BYD

    Berkshire Hathaway exits

    Berkshire Hathaway confirms in September 2025 that it has sold its entire BYD stake, ending a 17-year investment.

33. 2025BYD

    Becomes the world's top battery EV seller

    BYD sells 2.26 million battery EVs in 2025 against Tesla's 1.64 million, and 4.6 million new energy vehicles in total.

34. 2026AstraZeneca

    Ordinary Shares Begin Trading on the NYSE

    AstraZeneca ordinary shares start trading on the New York Stock Exchange on 2 February 2026 under the ticker AZN, after the American Depositary Share programme and certain debt securities stopped trading on Nasdaq on 30 January 2026.

35. 2026AstraZeneca

    Baxfendy Approved in the US for Hypertension

    The FDA approves Baxfendy (baxdrostat) in May 2026 as the first aldosterone synthase inhibitor for hypertension, used in combination with other antihypertensives in adults who are not adequately controlled.

36. 2026AstraZeneca

    $15 Billion China Investment Through 2030

    AstraZeneca announces on 29 January 2026 that it will invest $15 billion in China through 2030 to expand manufacturing and research, in a market that is its second largest and about 12% of revenue.

37. 2026BYD

    Unveils Blade Battery 2.0 and FLASH charging

    On March 5, 2026 BYD unveils the second-generation Blade Battery, which charges from 10% to 70% in about five minutes, and plans 20,000 FLASH charging stations in China by the end of 2026.

38. 2026BYD

    Overseas revenue passes China

    In the first half of 2026 BYD's overseas revenue of ~$25.2 billion (CN¥181.3 billion) exceeds revenue from China for the first time, even as group revenue falls 7.1% to ~$47.9 billion (CN¥344.8 billion).

Acquisitions

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