Sanyo

Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. (三洋電機株式会社, San'yō Denki Kabushiki-gaisha) (Japanese pronunciation: [saɰ̃.jo(ꜜ)ː]) was a Japanese electronics manufacturer that existed independently from 1949 to 2009 and was based in Osaka. It was founded by Toshio Iue, the brother-in-law of Kōnosuke Matsushita, the founder of Matsushita Electric Industrial, now known as Panasonic. Beginning as a producer of bicycle generator lamps, the company went on to launch Japan's first spray-type washing machine in 1953 and in later years became best known for affordable consumer electronics and as a major global leader of batteries, green energy and industrial air systems. Sanyo at one point focused on solar cell and lithium battery businesses. In 1992, it developed the world's first hybrid solar cell, and in 2002, it had a 41% share of the global lithium-ion battery market. In the 2000s, it was known as one of the 3S along with Sony and Sharp. In its heyday in 2003, Sanyo had sales of about ¥2.5 trillion. However, it fell into a financial crisis as a result of its huge investment in the semiconductor business. In 2009, Sanyo was acquired by Panasonic, and in 2011, its operations were fully consolidated into Panasonic and its brand disappeared. The company now only exists as a legal entity to settle final business obligations. The Sanyo brand continues to exist in some territories for certain products by Panasonic and licensees.