Nvidia Corporation, an American technology company headquartered in Santa Clara, California, was founded in 1993 by Jensen Huang, Chris Malachowsky, and Curtis Priem. The company develops graphics processing units (GPUs), systems on chips (SoCs), and application programming interfaces (APIs) for various fields, including data science, high-performance computing, video games, and mobile and automotive applications. Nvidia initially gained recognition for its revolutionary GPU technology, transforming the gaming industry with realistic graphics and processing power. The company's name is derived from the Latin word "invidia," meaning envy, reflecting its aspiration to create superior graphics technology.
Nvidia's GPUs are instrumental in early advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and the company controls a significant portion (70% to 90%) of the AI chip market. Tech giants like Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, and Alphabet (Google) use Nvidia's AI applications. Nvidia's DRIVE platform has become the backbone for many car manufacturers' self-driving technologies. In 2023, Nvidia's market capitalization soared past $1.2 trillion, making it the first semiconductor company to exceed that mark. By July 2025, Nvidia's market cap exceeded $4 trillion.
