3 Tech Brands Owned By Foxconn

Foxconn, also known as Hon Hai Technology Group, is a Taiwanese company established in 1974 and describes itself as "the world's largest electronics manufacturer." However, Foxconn is best known as the behind-the-scenes manufacturer for major technology companies. For example, the company is one of the contract manufacturers for Apple's iPhones, a major assembler of Nvidia's high-end GB200 servers, and it also makes other common consumer electronic devices, such as iPads, Sony's PlayStation gaming console, and Amazon's Kindle e-reader. 

While the company's major play has been contract manufacturing, with R&D and manufacturing centers in different countries around the world, including the U.S., China, India, and Japan, the Taiwanese electronics giant hasn't stopped there. It has also expanded into other sectors to diversify its products. We've seen Foxconn launch its own electric vehicles, but in addition to that, the company also owns and controls several recognizable tech brands in its portfolio either directly or through one of its subsidiaries. 

For instance, in 2018, Foxconn acquired peripherals company Belkin in an all-cash deal worth $866 million, through Foxconn Interconnect Technology, the company's subsidiary that focuses on connectivity. That's just one example of a tech brand that's owned by Foxconn. There are other companies that you might be familiar with, or even love and whose products you use, but didn't know are actually owned by the Taiwanese contract manufacturing giant.

As stated before, Foxconn acquired Belkin in 2018, and to this day, it remains under the company's control through its Foxconn Interconnect Technology (FIT) subsidiary. According to Foxconn Interconnect Technology, it acquired the accessory maker to "further tap into premium accessories and the smart home market." For the uninitiated, Belkin is a tech brand founded in the '80s in Southern California, with a focus on accessories. Its first product was a cable that connected a parallel printer to an Apple IIc computer in 1983. Since then, it has expanded its product catalog and grown into a widely recognized accessory maker. 

Currently, the company's portfolio includes a wide variety of accessories, including wireless chargers, USB-based docks and hubs, power bricks, screen protectors, cables, adapters, phone cases, and power banks. It also sells accessories for the Nintendo Switch 2 console, such as travel cases, screen protectors, and charging cases. Belkin also offers several audio products, including over-ear headphones and true wireless earbuds, as well as content-creation accessories (like tripod stands and wireless microphones) and computer-related ones like keyboards and mice. 

Before FIT acquired Belkin in 2018, the American tech accessory brand also had subsidiaries under its umbrella. One of them was Linksys, a major router brand, which the accessory maker acquired from Cisco in 2013 and continued to operate as a separate brand. However, FIT sold Linksys to Fortinet in 2025, so the brand is no longer owned by Foxconn.

Sharp is yet another tech brand owned by the Taiwanese contract manufacturer Foxconn. However, unlike Belkin, which it acquired in full in 2018 through its Foxconn Interconnect Technology subsidiary, Foxconn doesn't own Sharp outright. Foxconn owns only a 66 percent majority stake in the company, which it acquired for $3.8 billion in 2016. Sharp's story started in 1912 when the company was founded in Japan by Tokuji Hayakawa. Interestingly, Sharp didn't start as a tech brand. It's one of the major tech companies that began as different businesses before transitioning. 

The company's first product was a belt buckle called Tokubijo; then in 1915, it launched a pencil that later became known as the Sharp Pencil, which inspired the company's name. Its next product was a crystal radio, and then it entered the TV market in 1953, becoming the first Japanese company to produce television sets in large quantities. From there, Sharp expanded its portfolio into more categories, launching microwave ovens, refrigerators, projectors, air purifiers, monitors, and more. 

Today, the company's portfolio features both consumer electronics and home appliances, including TVs, air purifiers, microwaves, dishwashers, refrigerators, steam ovens, and cooktops. During its more than 100 years of existence, Sharp hasn't been without its struggles. For example, it exited the U.S. TV market in 2015 after heavy financial losses and licensed its brand to Hisense in the American market. Despite re-entering the U.S. TV market in 2019, Sharp is no longer considered a major TV manufacturer.

Foxconn acquired SMART Technologies in 2016 in a deal worth $200 million. The Taiwanese manufacturer acquired SMART Technologies after the company's financial fortunes had taken a turn for the worse, following a peak in 2011. SMART Technologies is a display manufacturer that makes smart interactive whiteboards used in various settings, such as education, government, and business. The company prides itself on pioneering the smart board and also "leading global research on EdTech effectiveness." 

SMART Technologies was founded by David Martin and his wife, Nancy Knowlton, in 1987. However, it wasn't until 1991 that the company launched its first interactive whiteboard, which was a first of its kind. The company's Crunchbase profile reveals that its interactive displays are used in millions of K-12 classrooms, and that its products are available in 175 countries worldwide.

As of this writing, the company has several smart whiteboards for education users and also sells a variety of accessories that can be used in conjunction, such as a document camera, a stylus pen, and a SMART SoundLift to amplify a teacher's voice in a classroom. It also has whiteboards targeted at business users, as well as handy accompanying accessories.