Which company was founded in a Palo Alto garage in 1939 by Bill Hewlett and David Packard?

Hewlett-Packard was founded in a Palo Alto garage in 1939 by Bill Hewlett and David Packard.

The founders met while studying electrical engineering at Stanford University, where professor Frederick Terman encouraged them to build a technology business in the region. Their first product was an audio oscillator, an electronic test instrument designed partly by Hewlett.

The garage at 367 Addison Avenue became an enduring symbol of Silicon Valley’s startup culture. Although later retellings sometimes call it the birthplace of Silicon Valley, the region already had important electronics and research activity. The garage is better understood as a powerful symbol of early technology entrepreneurship.

HP eventually became a major manufacturer of computers, printers, calculators, and measurement equipment. In 2015, Hewlett-Packard split into HP Inc. and Hewlett Packard Enterprise; the original company’s modern corporate history is therefore often confused with the two successor companies.