TSMC became Asia's most valuable listed company by market capitalization during the artificial-intelligence boom.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company is the world's largest dedicated semiconductor foundry. Rather than selling mainly under its own consumer brand, it manufactures chips designed by other companies, including advanced processors used in smartphones, computers, and AI systems.
TSMC's importance comes from its leading manufacturing processes and enormous investment in fabrication plants. Customers depend on it to produce chips at very small process nodes, where technical expertise and capital requirements create significant barriers to competition.
The company was founded in Taiwan in 1987 by Morris Chang. Its valuation can move with expectations for chip demand, technology leadership, and geopolitical risk. TSMC is also commonly identified by the ticker symbol TSM on the New York Stock Exchange.