AstraZeneca vs Twilio: Founders, CEOs and History

Company facts

Founders

CEOs and their tenures

Timeline: AstraZeneca and Twilio 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. 1999AstraZeneca

   Astra and Zeneca Merge to Form AstraZeneca

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

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 2008Twilio

   Company Founded

   Jeff Lawson, Evan Cooke, and John Wolthuis founded Twilio and launched its first voice API for developers.

8. 2010Twilio

   SMS API Launched

   Twilio added programmable SMS, which became its largest product line.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. 2015Twilio

    Authy Acquired

    Twilio acquired the two-factor authentication company Authy in 2015.

14. 2016Twilio

    NYSE IPO

    Twilio listed on the NYSE under the ticker TWLO in June 2016, pricing shares at $15.

15. 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.

16. 2019Twilio

    SendGrid Acquisition

    Twilio completed its all-stock acquisition of email platform SendGrid, announced at about $2 billion.

17. 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.

18. 2020Twilio

    Segment Acquisition

    Twilio acquired customer data platform Segment for about $3.2 billion, its largest deal.

19. 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.

20. 2021Twilio

    Revenue Passes $2.8 Billion

    Twilio reported FY2021 revenue of $2.842 billion, up 61% year over year, with a net loss of $949.9 million.

21. 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.

22. 2023Twilio

    Restructuring

    Twilio cut about 17% of its workforce in February 2023 and made further reductions later in the year as it shifted toward profitability.

23. 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.

24. 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.

25. 2024Twilio

    CEO Transition

    Co-founder Jeff Lawson stepped down as CEO in January 2024 and Khozema Shipchandler succeeded him.

26. 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.

27. 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.

28. 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.

29. 2025Twilio

    First Full-Year GAAP Profit and Stytch Deal

    Twilio reported FY2025 revenue of $5.067 billion and net income of $33.8 million, and completed its acquisition of identity platform Stytch on November 14, 2025.

30. 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.

31. 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.

32. 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.

33. 2026Twilio

    Growth Re-accelerates

    Twilio reported Q2 2026 revenue of $1.50 billion, up 22%, and raised its 2026 revenue growth outlook to 18%-18.5%.

Acquisitions

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