Vauxhall Motors British automotive manufacturer founded in 1903, based in Luton. Known for compact cars and vans (Astra, Corsa, Vivaro), formerly part of GM and sold to PSA in 2017; now within the…
Vekoma: Dutch Manufacturer of Roller Coasters and Amusement Rides Vekoma Overview of Vekoma, a Netherlands-based builder of steel roller coasters and amusement rides, its common models, design approach, history, and role in the theme-park industry.
Velcro (hook-and-loop fastener) Velcro Velcro is the best-known brand of hook-and-loop fasteners: a two-sided textile closure system used across clothing, industry, medicine, and consumer products.
Verizon Communications: U.S. Telecommunications and Media Company Verizon Verizon Communications is a major U.S. telecommunications firm offering wireless, broadband, fiber, and media services; formed by the 2000 merger of GTE and Bell Atlantic.
Versace: Italian luxury fashion house founded by Gianni Versace Versace Overview of Versace: origins, signature style, product ranges, leadership, cultural influence and notable facts about the Medusa logo and family ownership.
Vestas Wind Systems — Danish wind turbine manufacturer Vestas Vestas is a Danish maker of wind turbines and renewable energy services, founded in 1945 and headquartered in Aarhus; it designs, manufactures, installs and services turbines world…
Viacom: History, brands, and evolution of an American media company Viacom Overview of Viacom, its origins as a CBS division, major brands (Paramount, MTV, Nickelodeon), key corporate reorganizations, streaming initiatives and legacy in global entertainme…
Viacom (original company, 1971–2005) Viacom (original) American media company founded in 1971 as a spin-off of CBS; built major cable networks and studios, later renamed CBS Corporation in 2005 when it was split from a newly formed Via…
Vice Records (Vice Recordings): independent label and music arm of Vice Vice Records Overview of Vice Records (Vice Recordings), the music label associated with Vice magazine: history, roster, musical focus, releases, and its role in alternative and indie music cul…
Victoria's Secret American retailer known for lingerie, beauty, and apparel; founded 1977 and notable for its catalog, retail stores, and cultural impact in fashion and marketing.
Video Game Publisher: Roles, Business Models and History Video game publisher Overview of video game publishers: functions, funding models, history, and distinctions from developers and self-publishing in the games industry.
VietJet Air: Vietnamese low-cost airline VietJet Air VietJet Air is a privately owned Vietnamese low-cost carrier founded in 2007 and operating since 2011. Headquartered in Hanoi, it serves domestic and international routes from hubs…
Vietnam Airlines Vietnam's national flag carrier, established in 1956, operating domestic and international services from major hubs and a member of the SkyTeam alliance since 2010.
Virgin America Virgin America was a U.S. domestic airline (2007–2018) known for its stylish cabins, onboard entertainment and tech-forward service; it was acquired by Alaska Airlines in 2016 and…
Virgin Atlantic Airways British long-haul airline founded by Sir Richard Branson, operating international routes from London hubs with a mixed widebody fleet, distinctive cabin products and commercial par…
Virgin Australia Major Australian airline founded as Virgin Blue (2000), rebranded in 2011. Hybrid full-service and low-cost carrier with domestic and regional routes; entered administration in 202…
Virgin Galactic: private suborbital flights and air‑launch services Virgin Galactic Private spaceflight company founded by Richard Branson in 2004. Develops the SpaceShipTwo suborbital vehicle and LauncherOne air‑launch service for small satellites; notable for cr…
Virgin Group A private British conglomerate built around the Virgin brand, encompassing travel, media, lifestyle and space ventures; founded by Sir Richard Branson with roots in the early 1970s…
Virgin Interactive British video game publisher founded as Virgin Games in 1981, expanded after acquiring Mastertronic in 1987 and renamed Virgin Interactive in 1994; active across home computers, co…
Virgin Records — history, artists, and corporate evolution Virgin Records Virgin Records is a British record label founded in 1972 by Richard Branson, Nik Powell and Simon Draper. This article summarizes its origins, notable artists, corporate changes an…
VivaColombia — Colombian low-cost carrier VivaColombia VivaColombia (later Viva Air Colombia) is a Colombian low-cost airline founded in 2008 that began operations in 2012. It operated Airbus A320 family aircraft and expanded domestic…
Viz Media — American manga publisher and anime distributor Viz Media Viz Media is a San Francisco–based company that publishes English-language manga, distributes anime and licenses Japanese entertainment for North America, with multiple imprints an…
VMware — virtualization and cloud infrastructure company VMware VMware is a US-based software company best known for virtualization hypervisors, cloud infrastructure, and networking/storage virtualization solutions used in enterprise IT environ…
Vodafone: Overview of the British Telecommunications Group Vodafone Vodafone is a British multinational telecommunications company providing mobile, fixed-line, broadband and IoT services worldwide. This entry summarizes its origins, services, glob…
Volaris — Mexican low-cost carrier Volaris Volaris is a Mexican low-cost airline based in Mexico City, operating a fleet of Airbus narrow-body jets on domestic and international routes with an unbundled fare model and multi…
Volkswagen (VW) — German automaker and automotive group Volkswagen Volkswagen is a major German car manufacturer founded in the 1930s. Known for the Beetle, Golf and commercial vehicles, it grew into a global group and is now shifting toward elect…
Volvo — Swedish automaker and commercial vehicle manufacturer Volvo Overview of Volvo: origins, split into Volvo Cars and Volvo Group, reputation for safety, product ranges (cars, trucks, buses, marine engines), history, and transition to electrifi…
Vox (musical equipment) Vox is a British-origin brand of musical instruments and amplification, famous for the AC30 guitar amp and Continental organ; since 1992 it has been owned by the Japanese manufactu…
Vueling — Spanish low-cost carrier headquartered in Barcelona Vueling Vueling is a Spanish low-cost airline founded in 2004, based in Barcelona. It operates a large point-to-point network across Spain and Europe, and merged with Clickair in 2009 befo…
Vulcan Foundry: British locomotive and ironworks manufacturer (founded 1832) Vulcan Foundry The Vulcan Foundry was a long-lived British engineering works in Newton-le-Willows that produced ironwork and locomotives from 1832, later becoming part of English Electric in 1957…
Walden Media American film and publishing company known for family-oriented adaptations such as The Chronicles of Narnia and Bridge to Terabithia, with an emphasis on literary and educational s…
Walgreens: U.S. Retail Pharmacy Chain and Community Health Provider Walgreens Walgreens is a major American pharmacy and retail chain founded in Chicago in 1901. It offers prescriptions, retail goods, health services and community programs and has evolved th…
Walmart Walmart is an American retail corporation founded by Sam Walton that operates thousands of stores worldwide and is one of the largest companies by revenue and employment.
Walt Disney Animation Studios Historic American animation studio founded in 1923, known for feature animated films, technical innovation, iconic characters, and a major role in global popular culture.
Walt Disney Studios Collective name for several related entertainment entities of The Walt Disney Company: the film studio division, the Burbank production lot, the distribution arm, and a Paris theme…
Warner Communications American media company formed in 1972 from Kinney National assets; built film, television, music, home-video and cable businesses; merged with Time Inc. in 1990 to form Time Warner…
Warner Home Video (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment) Warner Home Video Home video division of Warner Bros., responsible for releasing films and TV on physical and digital formats; known for catalog management, special editions, and third‑party distrib…
Warner Music Group Major global music company based in New York City, one of the 'big three' record companies. Owns multiple labels, provides recorded-music, publishing and artist services, and has r…
WarnerMedia: overview of the entertainment and media conglomerate WarnerMedia Profile of WarnerMedia: its assets, corporate history, operations, and cultural impact, including film studios, TV networks, streaming and major reorganizations.
Washington Mutual (WaMu): history, operations, and the 2008 collapse Washington Mutual Washington Mutual, commonly called WaMu, was once the largest U.S. savings and loan; founded in 1889, it grew into a national bank and failed in 2008 in the largest bank collapse i…
Waterloo Maple Inc. (Maplesoft) Waterloo Maple Canadian software company based in Waterloo, Ontario, best known for Maple, a computer algebra system used in education, research and engineering for symbolic and numeric computati…
Wayne Enterprises Fictional multinational conglomerate from the Batman universe, known for advanced technology, philanthropy, and ties to Bruce Wayne and the Wayne family legacy.
Web Entertainment (Detroit independent record label) Web Entertainment Web Entertainment is a Detroit-based independent record label run by the Bass Brothers, best known for releasing Eminem's early work and supporting the local hip hop scene.
Wells Fargo: history, services, and major controversies Wells Fargo Overview of Wells Fargo, an American multinational bank: its origins, main services, key historical events, major controversies and regulatory actions, and where to read more.
Wendy's: American fast-food restaurant chain Wendy's Wendy's is an international fast-food restaurant chain founded by Dave Thomas in 1969, known for square burgers, the Frosty dessert, franchise model and marketing emphasis on fresh…
Wesfarmers: Australian conglomerate and retail group Wesfarmers Wesfarmers is a diversified Australian conglomerate, based in Perth, operating major retail chains and industrial businesses; noted for Bunnings, Kmart, Officeworks and the 2018 de…
West Midlands Trains British train operating company running local and interurban services across the West Midlands and to London, trading as West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway.
Western Digital — American data storage manufacturer and technology company Western Digital Western Digital is a California-based company that designs and manufactures hard disk drives, solid-state drives, NAS systems and enterprise storage for consumers and data centers…
