Garmin vs Xiaomi: Founders, CEOs and History
Garmin was founded in 1989 by Min H. Kao, Gary Burrell and is led by Clifton A. (Cliff) Pemble. Xiaomi was founded in 2010 by Lei Jun, Lin Bin and is led by Lei Jun.
Company facts
Founders
Garmin
Min H. Kao
Min H. Kao co-founded Garmin in 1989 with Gary Burrell, and the company name combines their first names. Born in Taiwan, he studied at National Taiwan University and the University of Tennessee and worked on GPS and navigation systems before starting Garmin.
Gary Burrell
Gary Burrell co-founded Garmin in 1989 and led it as chief executive alongside Min Kao in its early years.
Xiaomi
Lei Jun
Lei Jun founded Xiaomi in 2010 and is its chairman and CEO. He set the company's early strategy of selling well-specified phones online at low prices, built the MIUI user community, and later led Xiaomi's 2018 Hong Kong listing.
Lin Bin
Lin Bin co-founded Xiaomi in 2010 and served as its president, overseeing early phone development and supply-chain relationships. He handed the president role to others in 2019 and continued as vice chairman of the board. Lin Bin was born in 1961.
CEOs and their tenures
Garmin
- Min H. Kao1989–2012
Co-founder; former CEO; Executive Chairman
As co-founder and long-time CEO, he built Garmin into a highly vertically integrated manufacturing powerhouse, refusing to outsource critical engineering to third parties.
Source - Gary Burrell1989–2002
Co-founder; former co-CEO
As co-founder, he established Garmin's engineering-first culture and successfully navigated the company's massive IPO in 2000 before retiring as Co-CEO in 2002.
Source - Clifton A. (Cliff) Pemble2013–present
President and Chief Executive Officer
Under Pemble, revenue rose to a record $7.25 billion in 2025, with all five segments at record highs and no long-term debt.
Source
Xiaomi
- Lei Jun2010–present
Founder, Chairman and CEO
Sets Xiaomi's product and ecosystem strategy and leads the EV business.
Source - Lin Bin2010–present
Co-founder and Vice Chairman
Co-founded Xiaomi with Lei Jun and served as president during its early growth before moving to the vice chairman role.
Source - Lu Weibing2022–present
President
Runs day-to-day operations of the group, having earlier led the Redmi brand and international business.
Source
Timeline: Garmin and Xiaomi side by side
1989Garmin
Company founded
Gary Burrell and Min Kao founded the company in Lenexa, Kansas, as ProNav. It was soon renamed Garmin.
1990Garmin
GPS 100 introduced
Garmin introduced its first product, the GPS 100 marine receiver.
2000Garmin
Nasdaq IPO
Garmin went public on Nasdaq under the ticker GRMN in December 2000.
2003Garmin
Forerunner launched
The Forerunner 101 wrist-worn GPS trainer launched Garmin's fitness wearables line.
2007Garmin
Bid for Tele Atlas
Garmin bid for the digital-map company Tele Atlas in October 2007 and withdrew in November after TomTom raised its offer.
2010Xiaomi
Xiaomi Founded
Lei Jun and seven co-founders establish Xiaomi in Beijing and release the MIUI Android software.
2011Xiaomi
Mi 1 Launches
Xiaomi launches its first smartphone, sold online.
2013Garmin
Cliff Pemble becomes CEO
Cliff Pemble, an early Garmin engineer, succeeded Min Kao as CEO in January 2013.
2013Xiaomi
Hugo Barra Joins From Google
Hugo Barra left Google in 2013 to lead Xiaomi's international expansion.
2014Xiaomi
India Entry and $45B Valuation
Xiaomi enters India and raises funding at a reported $45B valuation.
2017Garmin
Acquired Navionics
Garmin acquired Navionics. Garmin acquired Navionics, a premier global provider of detailed electronic navigational charts and mobile applications for the marine industry, in order to rapidly expand its digital mapping capabilities and strengthen its position…
2018Xiaomi
Hong Kong IPO
Xiaomi lists on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under stock code 1810 with a weighted voting rights structure.
2019Garmin
Acquired Tacx
Garmin acquired Tacx.
2019Xiaomi
Fortune Global 500 Debut
Xiaomi entered the Fortune Global 500 for the first time in July 2019.
2020Garmin
Ransomware Attack
A ransomware attack in July 2020 took Garmin Connect and other services offline for several days.
2021Garmin
Listing moves to NYSE
Garmin moved its share listing from Nasdaq to the New York Stock Exchange.
2021Xiaomi
EV Entry Announced
Xiaomi announces it will build electric vehicles and sets up a dedicated EV subsidiary.
2021Xiaomi
Acquired DeepMotion
Xiaomi acquired DeepMotion for $77 million. Autonomous-driving technology company acquired to support Xiaomi's EV program.
2023Xiaomi
HyperOS Announced
Xiaomi announced HyperOS in October 2023 to replace MIUI across its devices.
2024Xiaomi
SU7 Launch
Xiaomi launches the SU7 electric sedan in March 2024 and begins deliveries.
2025Garmin
Record $7.25 billion revenue
Revenue rose 15% to $7.25 billion, every segment set a record, and Garmin shipped more than 20 million units.
2025Xiaomi
Record Year and YU7 Launch
Xiaomi launches the YU7 SUV, delivers 411,082 vehicles, and reports FY2025 revenue of ~$63.6B (RMB457.3B).
2026Garmin
TrainingPeaks and TrainHeroic acquired
Garmin completed the acquisition of the TrainingPeaks and TrainHeroic coaching platforms and reported a record Q2 2026 operating income of $616 million.
2026Xiaomi
Memory Costs Hit Profit
Q1 revenue falls 10.9% to ~$13.8B (RMB99.1B) and Q2 revenue falls 6.1% to ~$15.1B (RMB108.9B) as memory-chip costs squeeze margins.
Acquisitions
Garmin
- TrainingPeaks and TrainHeroic2026Undisclosed
- JL Audio2023Undisclosed
- Firstbeat Analytics2020Undisclosed
- Tacx2019Undisclosed
- Navionics2017Undisclosed
Questions about Garmin vs Xiaomi
Who is the CEO of Garmin Ltd. and Xiaomi Corp.?
Garmin Ltd. is led by Clifton A. (Cliff) Pemble and Xiaomi Corp. is led by Lei Jun. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Garmin Ltd. founded vs Xiaomi Corp.?
Garmin Ltd. was founded in 1989 — 21 years before Xiaomi Corp., which was founded in 2010. Garmin Ltd.'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Xiaomi Corp..
How many employees does Garmin Ltd. have compared to Xiaomi Corp.?
Garmin Ltd. employs approximately 23,000 people, while Xiaomi Corp. employs approximately 56,531. Xiaomi Corp. has the larger workforce at 56,531 employees, compared to Garmin Ltd.'s 23,000. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Garmin Ltd. and Xiaomi Corp. headquartered?
Garmin Ltd. is headquartered in United States and Xiaomi Corp. is headquartered in China. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded Garmin Ltd. and Xiaomi Corp.?
Garmin Ltd. was founded by Min H. Kao, Gary Burrell. Xiaomi Corp. was founded by Lei Jun, Lin Bin.
Which company has a longer operating history — Garmin Ltd. or Xiaomi Corp.?
Garmin Ltd. has been operating for approximately 37 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Xiaomi Corp. has been in operation for around 16 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Garmin vs Xiaomi overview