Nvidia designed the GeForce graphics processors that helped drive modern AI computing.
Nvidia was founded in 1993 by Jensen Huang, Chris Malachowsky, and Curtis Priem. The company first became widely known for graphics processing units, or GPUs, used in personal computers and video games. Its GeForce brand was introduced in 1999 and became a major name in consumer graphics.
GPUs can perform many calculations simultaneously, making them useful not only for rendering images but also for machine learning. Nvidia’s CUDA software platform, introduced in 2006, enabled developers to use compatible GPUs for general-purpose parallel computing. That ecosystem helped Nvidia become a key supplier for artificial-intelligence research and data centers.
Nvidia’s market capitalization surged as demand for AI infrastructure grew. The company is sometimes confused with the manufacturers that physically produce its chips; Nvidia designs processors, while specialist foundries such as TSMC manufacture many of them.