Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, a major market-cap leader, was founded in 1987.
TSMC was established in Taiwan by Morris Chang, who had previously held senior positions at Texas Instruments. Its founding introduced a specialized business model: TSMC manufactures chips designed by other companies rather than selling many of its own branded processors.
This model is commonly called the dedicated semiconductor foundry model. Customers have included major technology companies, while TSMC has invested heavily in advanced production facilities and process technology. Its corporate headquarters are in Hsinchu, Taiwan.
The founding year is sometimes confused with the date of TSMC’s first public listing or the opening of a particular fabrication plant. Those are later milestones; the company itself began in 1987.