TSMC was the first listed company from Taiwan to exceed a $1 trillion market capitalization.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company passed the $1 trillion mark during trading in July 2024 as investors raised their expectations for demand for advanced chips used in artificial intelligence and high-performance computing. The milestone made TSMC one of the world's most valuable semiconductor businesses.
TSMC pioneered the dedicated foundry model. Rather than selling its own branded consumer processors, it manufactures chips designed by other companies, including many leading technology firms. This separation lets customers develop chip designs while TSMC concentrates on process technology and production.
The company was founded in 1987 by Morris Chang with support from Taiwan's government and Philips. Its headquarters are in Hsinchu, Taiwan. TSMC's rise is often discussed alongside Nvidia's because Nvidia designs important AI processors while TSMC manufactures many advanced chips for the industry.