TSMC is the world’s largest contract chip manufacturer and one of its most valuable listed companies.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company pioneered the dedicated foundry model, manufacturing chips designed by other companies rather than selling mainly its own branded processors. This allowed firms such as Apple, Nvidia, and AMD to outsource advanced production while concentrating on chip design.
TSMC was founded in Taiwan in 1987 by Morris Chang. Its manufacturing leadership, especially in advanced process technologies, made it strategically important to the global semiconductor industry and helped support a very large market capitalization.
TSMC is often confused with a chip designer. Nvidia designs major AI processors but relies on foundries for manufacturing; TSMC’s core role is producing chips for customers. Its American depositary receipts trade in New York, while its ordinary shares trade in Taiwan.