Nvidia created the CUDA parallel-computing platform in 2006.
CUDA, short for Compute Unified Device Architecture, lets developers use Nvidia graphics-processing units for general-purpose computing as well as graphics. Nvidia introduced the technology in 2006, helping establish its GPUs as tools for scientific computing, machine learning, and artificial intelligence.
Nvidia was founded in 1993 by Jensen Huang, Chris Malachowsky, and Curtis Priem. It became famous for graphics chips used in personal computers and gaming, but its data-center business later became a major source of growth. Demand for accelerated computing and AI training made Nvidia one of the world’s most valuable listed companies.
CUDA is not a chip or a company. It is a software platform and programming model associated with Nvidia hardware. That distinction matters because Nvidia’s market value reflects the broader company, including chips, networking products, software, and data-center systems.