Dragons' Den investor Alan Sugar founded Amstrad in 1968.
The name Amstrad was formed from Sugar's initials, A.M.S., and the word trading. The company began as a general importer and later became prominent in consumer electronics, selling products including hi-fi equipment, satellite television hardware and home computers.
Amstrad's best-known computer products included the CPC range, launched in the 1980s, and the Sinclair ZX Spectrum brand, which Amstrad acquired in 1986. The business helped make home computing more accessible to British consumers during that period.
Alan Sugar appeared as a Dragon on the British programme from its launch until 2015. Although he became widely known for television, his business identity is rooted in Amstrad, rather than in the BBC programme itself. Amstrad was sold to BSkyB in 2007.