It’s hard to imagine the world without the influence of international conglomerates that impact our lives in many ways. Yet, many of these companies were once unheard-of startups hoping to find success.
Whether they deliver our favourite tech products, craft a satisfying drink, or offer something in between, companies as diverse as Apple and Ola Cabs were once small businesses trying to make it—and here, we’ll explore ten significant organisations with humble beginnings.
Table of Contents
1. Apple
Apple was started in April 1976 by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. The two college dropouts set out to create a more compact, user-friendly computer that could be used in both offices and homes. Their work started in Jobs’s garage and grew rapidly in its early years. The company did far more than the pair set out to accomplish, revolutionising the tech industry and changing the way people thought about computers.
2. Bira 91
After its founding in 2015, Bira 91 grew rapidly in India and expanded to various parts of the world. The company was started by Ankur Jain, who saw a gap in India’s beer market. The gap? There was no beer crafted with Millennials in mind available in the country. He tried to remedy this with a fun, playful beer focused on quality and geared towards a younger demographic—and he was wildly successful.
3. Byju’s
Byju’s story is unique on this list; most of these companies have found overwhelming success internationally, but Byju’s, which expected to do the same, experienced a sudden and intense downturn in 2023. The edtech company, offering tutoring and learning services, thrived during the COVID-19 pandemic, quickly becoming a multi-billion dollar international company. But this all started to unravel as the growth slowed and controversy rolled in. After restructuring the company, Byju’s hopes to overcome its downturn and rebuild trust with its users and investors.
4. Cleartrip
The travel agency Cleartrip began operations in 2006 in India and has since expanded to Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. It was founded by Hrush Bhatt, Matthew Spacie, and Ayyappan R. with the vision of streamlining the process of booking hotels, flights, activities, and attractions in India. The company is now valued at $1.4 billion.
5. eBay
EBay, first called AuctionWeb, started in 1996 when founder Pierre Omidyar published the website and listed his laser pointer printer as the first item for sale. It didn’t take long for the website to gain traction with the public. Over $7.2 million worth of goods were sold on the website within its first year, andit rebranded officially as eBay in 1997. Today, it’s used worldwide and is valued at $29.7 billion.
6. Hewlett-Packard
In 1939, Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard founded the Hewlett-Packard Company, better known as HP, long before personal computers. However, the company was still at the forefront of technological developments. One of its earliest products, an oscillator used to test sound systems, was bought by the Walt Disney Company. HP started getting involved with computer development in 1966, and by the 1980s, the company had a line of computer products.
7. Meta
Meta is a startup story many of us are familiar with, largely thanks to the film The Social Network. The company started in 2004 when Mark Zuckerberg launched The Facebook, a social networking website for Harvard students. It was quickly picked up by other students and, within a year, spread to other schools in the United States and then internationally. Since this quick surge in popularity, the company has grown astronomically to encompass other platforms, including Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads. In 2021, Facebook became Meta.
8. Microsoft
In 1975, Bill Gates and his friend Paul Allen founded Microsoft, and by 1987, Gates became the world’s youngest billionaire. Since the early days of Microsoft, the company focused on delivering computer software. The company name Microsoft came from shortening the terms “microprocessing” and “software,” the company’s specialities. Microsoft helped bring some of the first personal computers into existence and is the force behind Windows operating systems and Internet Explorer. The company remains hugely influential and is one of the most valuable companies in the world, valued at $3.16 trillion.
9. Ola Cabs
As the name suggests, Ola Cabs is a ride-hailing company. Bhavish Aggarwal and Ankit Bhati founded it to provide modern cab services to India. Like Uber and Lyft rideshare services, Ola Cabs helps users find rides using their phones. Unlike Uber or Lyft, however, Ola Cabs also connects its patrons to unexpected modes of transportation, including bikes and rickshaws. The company started by providing rideshare services throughout India in 2010 and has since expanded its operations to Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.
10. OYO
Founded in India by Ritesh Agarwal when he was just 19 years old, OYO has become a rapidly growing hospitality company specialising in budget-friendly accommodations. The concept for OYO, which stands for “On Your Own,” came to Agarwal when he was backpacking through India and discovered plenty of little-known, reliable, quality places to stay.
OYO provides its clients with accommodation options across India, helping them find independent hotels, homes, or rooms. Peter Thiel, the co-founder of PayPal, awarded Agarwal $100,000 to help him get OYO off the ground. The company began operations in 2013 and celebrated over one million check-insby 2016. Shortly after it began operating, it expanded to Malaysia and, a few years later, to Europe, the Middle East, and the US.
Conclusion
The founders of these companies turned their ideas into international conglomerates that many of us rely on daily. Most of them started with little to no capital. They stretched their resources and sought out investment and saving opportunities where they could—much the same way a gamer might find all the no deposit bonus offers when playing online or a shopper might scour the web for discounts and deals to get more out of their spending—to put together a business that would succeed on the world stage.
