Busicom

Busicom, officially known as Nihon Sangyo Kabushiki Kaisha, was a Japanese company founded in 1918. It was primarily known for its calculators and later for its involvement in the early development of microprocessors. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Busicom sought to create a new line of programmable calculators. To achieve this, they contracted with Intel Corporation to design a set of custom integrated circuits for their machines.

This collaboration led to the creation of the Intel 4004, which is widely recognized as the world's first commercially available single-chip microprocessor. The Intel 4004 was a groundbreaking piece of technology, enabling the miniaturization and increased capabilities of electronic devices. Although Busicom initially commissioned the chip, they were not able to fully capitalize on its potential due to financial difficulties and a lack of semiconductor manufacturing expertise.

The company experienced financial struggles in the early 1970s, eventually leading to its bankruptcy in 1974. Despite its commercial demise, Busicom's legacy is significant due to its pivotal role in the development of the microprocessor, a technology that would go on to revolutionize the computing industry and countless other fields. The story of Busicom highlights the complex interplay between innovation, corporate strategy, and market dynamics in the rapidly evolving technology sector of the 20th century.