Founding Year and Age Calculation
Kodak was founded in 1888 by George Eastman and Henry A. Strong, making the company 125 years old in 2015. The company officially incorporated as Eastman Kodak Company in 1892, but its operational history traces back to 1888 with the introduction of the Kodak cameraBritannica. By 2015, Kodak had transitioned from a film photography giant to a smaller technology licensing company focused on imaging patents and commercial printing solutions.
The 125-year age milestone in 2015 highlights the dramatic arc of the company, which dominated the photographic film market for much of the 20th century. Kodak's age in 2015 represents over a century of innovation, including the invention of the handheld camera and the first digital camera, though the company struggled to capitalize on digital photography trendsForbes.
Bankruptcy and Post-Bankruptcy Status
Kodak filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January 2012, when it was 123 years old, and emerged from bankruptcy in September 2013. By 2015, the company was operating as a smaller, restructured entity focused on commercial imaging and advanced materials, no longer a major consumer brand in film or camerasSEC Filing.
In 2015, Kodak's age of 125 years was accompanied by a significant shift in business model, with the company generating revenue primarily through patent licensing and printing technologies. The company had shed thousands of employees and exited consumer markets, focusing instead on enterprise solutions for commercial print, packaging, and functional printingBloomberg.
Kodak's Business Transformation by 2015
Core Business Segments in 2015
By 2015, Kodak operated in three primary segments: Print Systems, Enterprise Inkjet Systems, and Advanced Manufacturing & Software Solutions. The company's age of 125 years in 2015 was matched by its pivot toward B2B technology services, with commercial inkjet printing and packaging solutions representing the largest revenue driversKodak Corporate.
Kodak's transformation by 2015 included a focus on digital printing technologies and brand licensing, with the company generating approximately $2.3 billion in annual revenue. The company's legacy brand value remained significant despite its reduced scale, and its age of 125 years underscored the resilience of the Eastman Kodak name in the imaging industryReuters.