Microsoft, a leading company by market capitalization, was founded in 1975 in New Mexico.
Bill Gates and Paul Allen established Microsoft, originally styled as “Micro-Soft,” in Albuquerque after adapting BASIC for the Altair 8800 microcomputer. The company’s early work focused on software rather than manufacturing computers.
Microsoft later moved its headquarters to the Seattle area, where it became closely associated with Washington state’s technology industry. Its major businesses eventually included Windows, Office, Azure cloud services, Xbox, and enterprise software.
People sometimes assume Microsoft began in Washington because its headquarters are there. The company’s founding location, however, was Albuquerque, New Mexico. Microsoft became a public company in 1986, an event that helped create substantial wealth for its founders and employees.