Amazon’s Acquisitions
Amazon was founded as an online bookstore by Jeff Bezos in 1994. In the three decades since then, it has expanded to encompass a diverse range of subsidiary businesses operating in a diverse collection of industries. Amazon’s growth has been fueled by its acquisition of subsidiaries, which have played a critical role in its success.
What Companies Does Amazon Own?
The various companies bought by Amazon reflect its expansion philosophy of moving into many sectors by acquiring talented startups that can help it grow within those sectors. With over 40 subsidiaries and investments in at least 128 companies, Amazon continues to innovate technologically and expand into various markets, including groceries, gadgets, attire, movies, television programs, and video games.
IMDb / Internet Movie Database (1998)
IMDb, an extensive online resource for film, television, and celebrity content, was launched in 1993 and purchased by Amazon in 1998, with Box Office Mojo serving as its leading online box office reporting and analysis service.
Junglee / Amazon.in (1998)
Amazon acquired Junglee, an Indian internet shopping mall, in 1998. In 2017, Amazon integrated Junglee.com into Amazon India, with the former domain now redirecting to Amazon.in. The acquisition helped Amazon establish a strong presence in the Indian market.
Lab126 (2004)
Lab126 is an Amazon subsidiary dedicated to developing and producing the company’s branded consumer electronics. The Lab126 team operates in the San Francisco Bay Area and designs Amazon’s Fire tablets, Kindle e-readers, Amazon Fire TVs, and more.
Shopbop (2006)
Shopbop offers a handpicked assortment of ready-to-wear and accessories for both women and men from over a thousand established and up-and-coming designers. Shopbop provides engaging editorial content, style advice, speedy worldwide shipping, and hassle-free returns in the U.S. and Canada. Shopbop is a member of the Amazon.com Inc. family.
Brilliance Audio (2007)
Brilliance Audio is a division of Brilliance Publishing and a member of the Amazon Companies, releasing best-selling fiction and non-fiction audiobooks. Brilliance creates original recordings and distributes audio content for various publishers and industry organizations.
Audible (2008)
Amazon purchased Audible, an online audiobook and podcast platform, in 2008, adding more than 80,000 audiobooks, newspapers, and magazines to its extensive online library.
AbeBooks (2008)
AbeBooks is an e-commerce marketplace specializing in rare and out-of-print books with sellers in over 50 countries. Amazon acquired AbeBooks in 2008.
Amazon Basic (2009)
Amazon Basics is a private label brand launched in 2009, generating the highest revenue for a private company on Amazon.com in 2019. Amazon Basics offers a diverse product portfolio, including batteries, home goods, charging cables, fitness gear, electronics, hardware, and more.
Zappos (2009)
In 2009, Amazon acquired Zappos, an internet retailer of shoes and apparel, for $1.2 billion. Zappos had quickly become one of the most successful apparel and footwear retailers online, and its acquisition signaled the true beginning of the diversification of things Amazon owns beyond online book sales.
Woot! (2010)
Woot, an e-commerce enterprise offering special daily deals, was acquired by Amazon in 2010 for $110 million. Today, Woot is based in Texas and features a wider variety of discounts than its original deal-of-the-day approach.
Amazon Studios (2010) & MGM Holdings Inc. (2022)
In 2022, Amazon acquired MGM Holdings, the established amusement establishment that owns the rights to successful franchises such as James Bond and Rocky. The $8.5 billion acquisition makes it Amazon’s second most expensive purchase after Whole Foods. Amazon Studios, established in 2010, produces movies and TV shows based on online submissions and crowd-driven feedback. The acquisition of MGM enhances Amazon’s intellectual property catalog, enriching its Prime Video streaming service.
Book Depository (2011)
Book Depository, a UK-based online bookseller known for its wide range of titles and competitive pricing, was acquired by Amazon in 2011, and the company continues to operate independently.
Kiva Systems / Amazon Robotics (2012)
In 2012, Amazon acquired Kiva Systems, now operating as Amazon Robotics, for $775 million. Amazon Robotics focuses solely on Amazon’s warehouses and those of other Amazon acquisitions and utilized over 200,000 warehouse robots in 2019. Kiva’s expertise in automated storage and retrieval systems could prove crucial to Amazon’s logistical operations, as they currently utilize thousands of robots for deliveries.
Goodreads (2013)
Goodreads was acquired by Amazon in 2013. Before then it was already one of, if not the world’s largest site for book enthusiasts allowing users to catalog, review, and recommend books. Since its acquisition, its products have been seamlessly integrated for use with the Amazon Kindle.
Alexa (2013)
Amazon acquired Alexa, a virtual assistant technology, in 2013, and it ranks websites by web traffic and provides insights on traffic statistics, keywords, and more. However, in 2022, the division faced financial troubles, leading to massive layoffs of Alexa employees.
Twitch Interactive (2014)
Amazon acquired Twitch in 2014 for $970 million; today the platform attracts 140 million monthly viewers. In 2007, when Twitch was first launched, it started out as “Justin.tv;” a captivating project created by four friends in which the titular channel owner and one of the founders, Justin Kan, live-streamed his life 24/7, using a webcam attached to his baseball cap. In 2011, the gaming portion of the site was renamed “twitch.tv.” Since then, Twitch has dominated the industry as far as esports broadcasting is concerned. Twitch’s collaborative approach brings together millions of people in chat, streamers, and viewers to create unique entertainment experiences, making it a vibrant community.
See Also:
ComiXology (2014)
ComiXology is a cloud-based digital comic distributor with a vast library of over 75,000 comics. Amazon acquired ComiXology in 2014 and introduced an Unlimited subscription with over 20,000 comics, ComiXology Originals, and Amazon Prime perks.
Annapurna Labs (2016)
Amazon acquired Annapurna Labs, an Israeli company that develops innovative silicon and software solutions for AWS customers, for $350 million in 2016.
Whole Foods and Amazon Fresh (2017)
In 2017, Amazon acquired Whole Foods Market, a grocery chain with more than 500 stores in the US, UK, and Canada. Despite facing initial challenges that have plagued other poorly performing affiliates Amazon integrated Whole Foods into its operations and enhanced the shopping experience for its customers. Amazon also launched Amazon Fresh in 2017, which offers grocery delivery services in several major cities.
Souq / Amazon.sa and Amazon.eg (2017)
Amazon acquired Souq in 2017, which was the largest e-commerce platform in the Middle East, allowing the company to tap into the rapidly growing Middle Eastern market. The acquisition helped Amazon further its global e-commerce aspirations. Amazon rebranded Souq.com to Amazon.ae in the UAE, launched Amazon.sa in Saudi Arabia in 2020 and Amazon.eg in Egypt in September 2021.
Beijing Century Joyo Courier Services / Amazon China(2017)
Beijing Century JOYO Courier Service Co. Ltd., operating under Amazon China, Amazon.cn, and Amazon Global Logistics China, offers freight-forwarding services for goods shipped from China. Amazon aims to expedite shipping and reduce costs for products sold through its e-commerce sites via this subsidiary.
Ring (2018)
Ring, originally called Doorbot, was founded in 2013 and acquired by Amazon in 2018 for roughly $1 billion, furthering its expansion into the home security market.
CreateSpace (2018)
CreateSpace is a self-publishing platform for authors, musicians, and publishers to distribute their work on-demand within the content publishing and distribution industry. CreateSpace published over 1.4 million books for more than 15,000 authors before transitioning to Amazon’s Media on Demand in 2018.
Pillpack, Inc. (2018), Amazon Pharmacy (2020), & One Medical (2023)
In 2018, Amazon purchased PillPack, a virtual drugstore that delivers prescription and non-prescription medications to customers across the US. Amazon Pharmacy was launched in 2020, offering prescription medication delivery with free two-day home delivery for Prime members. The launch of Amazon Pharmacy disrupted the retail pharmacy sector and led to a combined $22 billion loss in market value for competitor drugstores, distributors, and health insurers.
So far, what company did Amazon buy in 2023? Amazon acquired One Medical, a primary care enterprise providing online and in-person healthcare services, for $3.9 billion. The acquisition complemented Amazon Care, a provider of virtual and in-home care services, and aimed to reinvent the healthcare system by increasing efficiency, improving accessibility and affordability, and enhancing the overall experience for patients and healthcare providers.
Eero (2019)
In 2019, Amazon acquired Eero, an entire-home WiFi coverage system, for $97 million, providing fast and reliable coverage throughout homes.
Zoox (2020)
Zoox, an Amazon subsidiary, manufactures robot-taxis for mobility-as-a-service (Maas) applications. It was acquired in 2020 for $1.2 billion and is Amazon’s attempt to rival Waymo, Google’s autonomous vehicle project.
iRobot (2022)
In September 2022, Amazon acquired iRobot, a consumer robot company, for $1.7 billion, but antitrust concerns have been raised, and the deal is being scrutinized by the FTC. The acquisition has raised concerns about potential privacy issues with the Roomba vacuum cleaner and possible Amazon monopoly within the home tech sector.
Final Thoughts
While this article can’t encompass all Amazon subsidiaries —there are simply too many— it highlights the company’s extensive market reach. Startups and growing businesses may find this information helpful when assessing potential acquisition by or competition from Amazon.
The Amazon parent company owns a multitude of subsidiaries, acquired through a culture of acquisitions since the late 1990s. Without a doubt, Amazon continues to be an exceptionally lucrative platform. But, if you want to take your e-commerce business to the next level, PIRS Capital can help you secure fast, reliable funding for your small business nationwide.
I work with companies that sell products on platforms such as Amazon, Shopify, Walmart, Ebay, Etsy, etc. I understand that every business is unique and thats why I form genuine relationships with owners so I can help them reach their goals and find success through our working capital solutions.
