Intel developed the Intel 4004, widely recognized as the first commercially produced microprocessor.
Intel introduced the 4004 in 1971 after designing it for Busicom, a Japanese calculator company. The four-bit chip integrated central-processing functions onto a single piece of silicon, an important step in the development of modern computing.
Intel later became a dominant supplier of x86 processors for personal computers. Its chips powered many generations of desktops and laptops, while the company also produced memory, networking products, and other semiconductor components.
The 4004 was not the first computer ever built on a chip in every possible sense, and claims about “first” can depend on the definition used. It is, however, commonly credited as the first commercially available general-purpose microprocessor. Intel’s market value has since been shaped by competition, manufacturing technology, and changes in the personal-computer market.