Fremont: It might seem counterintuitive to start a new venture when the economy is in the dumps. But, a recession can prove to be the ideal time for launching a company. In fact, many well-known and successful big organizations were born during an economic downturn only. Below mentioned are few such big business that kicked off themselves during the recession as they knew that it is time to awake and act while others were still sleeping.

GE

Founded by Thomas Edition during the financial panic of 1892 in the U.S., GE (General Electric) was formed by the merger of Edison General Electric of Schenectady and Thomson-Houston Electric Company. When the company was founded, the U.S. was undergoing long and deep recession  of 1873-96. GE began with the first invention of the first incandescent light bulb.

Today, the company is into offering appliances, aviation, consumer electronics, electrical distribution, electric motors, energy, entertainment, finance, gas, healthcare, lighting, locomotive and several other sectors. It has more than $147.3 billion in revenue for the year 2011.