Bosch (company)
Robert Bosch GmbH, commonly known as Bosch, is a German multinational engineering and technology company headquartered in Gerlingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is 94 percent owned by the Robert Bosch Stiftung, a charitable institution. Although the charity is funded by owning the vast majority of shares, it has no voting rights and is involved in health and social causes unrelated to Bosch's business. The company was founded by Robert Bosch in Stuttgart in 1886. In the late 1890s, Bosch started installing magneto ignition devices into vehicles; the automotive sector would be a key long term market for the firm. In 1901, Bosch opened its first factory in Stuttgart. In 1917, it was reorganised as a corporation. Prior to the First World War, the company generated 92 percent of its sales outside of Germany, however, Bosch lost most of its international holdings following the conflict.