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Hirose Electric Co., Ltd.

A maker of precision electrical connectors, Hirose Electric produces the tiny plugs and sockets that link components inside smartphones, laptops, cars, and medical devices. Founded in Tokyo in 1937 by Kazuo Hirose and named after its founder, the company grew from a small workshop into one of the world's largest connector manufacturers. Its connectors are so common that nearly every smartphone on the market contains at least one Hirose part.