Intel was founded in 1968 by Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore. The company’s original name was Integrated Electronics, which was shortened to Intel.
Noyce and Moore were prominent engineers who had previously helped create Fairchild Semiconductor. Their new company initially focused on semiconductor memory before becoming a major producer of microprocessors. Intel’s early history is therefore closely tied to the concentration of semiconductor businesses in California’s Santa Clara Valley.
Intel is sometimes confused with Fairchild Semiconductor because both companies were central to the region’s early technology industry and shared key founders and employees. Intel’s famous x86 processor family later powered many personal computers, while the company also produced memory chips, chipsets, and other components.