Nvidia developed the GeForce graphics-processing-unit brand and became a market-capitalization leader in artificial intelligence hardware.
Nvidia was founded in 1993 by Jensen Huang, Chris Malachowsky, and Curtis Priem. The company initially focused on graphics hardware for personal computers. Its GeForce product line, introduced in 1999, helped popularize programmable graphics processing units for gaming.
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, allowed developers to use compatible GPUs for general-purpose computing.
Nvidia's market value rose sharply as demand grew for data-center accelerators used to train and run artificial-intelligence models. Nvidia is sometimes confused with AMD because both design GPUs, but they are separate companies. Nvidia designs chips and platforms while relying on manufacturing partners such as TSMC.