The company was founded by Nozomu Matsumoto on January 1, 1938 in Tokyo as a radio and speaker repair shop.

Pioneer played a role in the development of interactive cable TV, the LaserDisc player, the first automotive Compact Disc player, the first detachable face car stereo, Supertuner technology, DVD and DVD recording, the first AV receiver with Dolby Digital, plasma display (with the last 2 years of plasma models being branded as Kuro, lauded for their outstanding black levels) and Organic LED display (OLED).

The company works with optical disc and display technology and software products and is also a manufacturer.

Pioneer Karaoke Channel (Chinese: 先鋒卡拉OK頻道; pinyin: Xiān Fēng Kǎ Lā OK Pín Dào) is a satellite television channel that features Asian music videos and karaoke 24 hours a day.

Pioneer and Malaysian satellite broadcaster Astro officially launched on 1 June 1996.