NVIDIA
TL;DR NVIDIA transformed from a startup focused on gaming graphics into the world’s dominant force in accelerated computing and artificial intelligence, pioneering the GPU and powering modern deep learning, AI research, and the global tech boom.
NVIDIA, founded in 1993 by Jensen Huang, Chris Malachowsky, and Curtis Priem, originated with a vision to revolutionize graphics for gaming and multimedia. From precarious beginnings and rapid pivots, NVIDIA’s relentless focus on innovation enabled it to evolve into a technology titan, leading advancements in hardware, parallel computing, and AI that have become cornerstones of the modern digital economy.
Headquartered in Santa Clara, California, NVIDIA steered the technology landscape by inventing the graphics processing unit (GPU), catalyzing the transformation of gaming, visualization, and scientific research. Its GPUs became integral not only to PC gaming and console hardware, like Microsoft’s Xbox, but also to the explosive growth of parallel computing and deep learning. NVIDIA’s launch of CUDA in 2006 unlocked the general-purpose computing potential of GPUs, while AI breakthroughs, such as training AlexNet for deep image classification, positioned NVIDIA at the core of the modern AI revolution. The company’s RTX and Omniverse platforms extended capabilities into real-time ray tracing and 3D simulation, forging new paths for creative industries and the development of the metaverse.
Invented the GPU and introduced the GeForce 256 in 1999, marking a new era in graphics technology and parallel computing.
Created CUDA in 2006, enabling scientists and developers worldwide to use GPUs for high-performance computing and AI research.
Powered by major deep learning breakthroughs, including the AlexNet neural network, which sparked modern AI development and research accelerations.
Developed RTX technology, which delivered the first real-time ray tracing capabilities for true-to-life graphics in gaming and design.
Provided hardware infrastructure for the world’s leading AI models, including ChatGPT, Gemini, and AlphaFold, enabling rapid progress in natural language processing, biomedical research, and more.
Built the NVIDIA Omniverse platform, facilitating highly realistic virtual worlds and collaborative 3D ecosystems for the metaverse.
Maintained industry dominance, powering tens of thousands of companies and over four million developers with AI technologies, and driving a market capitalization into the trillions by 2025.
Supported start-ups and enterprise growth via the NVIDIA Inception program, accelerating AI deployment and entrepreneurship worldwide.
