Nvidia, founded in 1993, created the CUDA parallel-computing platform.
Nvidia was established by Jensen Huang, Chris Malachowsky, and Curtis Priem in 1993. It initially focused on graphics processors for personal computers and became closely associated with programmable graphics hardware. The company's GeForce products helped popularize GPU-accelerated gaming.
Nvidia introduced CUDA in 2006. CUDA allows software developers to use compatible Nvidia graphics-processing units for general-purpose parallel computing rather than limiting them to graphics. That platform became important in scientific computing, deep learning, and artificial intelligence, where many calculations can be performed simultaneously.
Nvidia is a chip designer and platform company rather than a traditional semiconductor foundry. It relies on manufacturing partners for fabrication, while companies such as AMD and Intel have different product histories and architectures. CUDA is specifically Nvidia's proprietary computing platform, not a generic name for all GPU programming.