Early Life
Anthony J. Wood was born in Manchester, England, on December 4, 1965. As a child, he moved to the United States, where he later studied electrical engineering at Texas A&M University. During his college years, he displayed an entrepreneurial spirit, founding AW Software and SunRize Industries, developing software and hardware for the Commodore Amiga. After graduating, he moved to California with his wife, Susan.
Rise to Success
Wood's career includes several significant ventures. In 1995, he launched iBand, which was acquired by Macromedia, where Wood served as Vice President. His next major project was ReplayTV, a digital video recorder (DVR) company. Wood sold ReplayTV to SONICblue in 2001. In 2002, Wood founded Roku, initially as a set-top box for streaming content. He also briefly worked at Netflix as Vice President of Internet TV in 2007, developing the streaming player. Roku launched its first set-top boxes in 2008. By 2018, Roku had captured a 41% market share of streaming media devices.
Key Business Strategies
Roku's success is attributed to several key strategies. Wood focused on creating a user-friendly, affordable streaming platform. He licensed the Roku OS to TV manufacturers, expanded the Roku Channel, and developed a data-driven advertising model. His early strategy focused on keeping prices low, and the initial device sold for under $100. This strategy helped Roku gain a significant market share.
Philanthropy
Wood and his wife, Susan, established the WoodNext Foundation in 2021. The foundation supports initiatives in areas such as scientific and biomedical research, mental health, homelessness, education, nature conservation, disaster recovery, and economic opportunity, with a focus on addressing root causes.
