Android

Android, Inc. was founded in Palo Alto in October 2003 by Andy Rubin, Rich Miner, Nick Sears, and Chris White to develop an advanced operating system for digital cameras. The company switched to a larger market focusing its efforts on producing a smartphone operating system to compete with Nokia’s Symbian and Microsoft Windows Mobile.

Google acquired Android in July 2005 for an estimated $50m, still 2 years prior to the first release of the iPhone, and 3 years prior to the first public release of a smart phone running Android.