Founding of NVIDIA
NVIDIA was founded by Jensen Huang, Chris Malachowsky, and Curtis Priem in Santa Clara, California. The company aimed to create advanced graphics chips for the burgeoning computer graphics market.
1993
1995
First Product Launch: NV1
NVIDIA released its first product, the NV1, a multimedia accelerator that combined 2D and 3D graphics, audio, and I/O functions into a single chip.
1999
Introduction of the GPU: GeForce 256
NVIDIA introduced the GeForce 256, the world’s first GPU, which transformed the graphics industry by offering hardware acceleration for 3D graphics.
2000
Acquisition of 3dfx
NVIDIA acquired the assets of 3dfx Interactive, a major competitor in the graphics card market, further solidifying its position as a leader in graphics technology.
2001
Launch of GeForce3
NVIDIA launched the GeForce3, featuring programmable pixel and vertex shaders, which marked a significant advancement in graphics technology for gaming and professional applications.
2006
Introduction of CUDA
NVIDIA introduced CUDA (Compute Unified Device Architecture), a parallel computing platform and programming model that allowed developers to use NVIDIA GPUs for general-purpose processing.
2007
Acquisition of Ageia Technologies
NVIDIA acquired Ageia Technologies, known for its PhysX technology, which enhanced the company’s capabilities in real-time physics processing for gaming and simulation.
2010
Launch of Fermi Architecture
NVIDIA launched its Fermi architecture, which significantly improved the performance and programmability of GPUs, and was aimed at both gaming and high-performance computing markets.
2012
Introduction of Kepler Architecture
NVIDIA introduced the Kepler architecture, which brought significant improvements in energy efficiency and performance for gaming and professional graphics applications.
2013
Launch of NVIDIA GRID
NVIDIA launched NVIDIA GRID, a cloud gaming service that allowed users to stream games from the cloud to their devices, leveraging the power of NVIDIA GPUs.
2016
Introduction of Pascal Architecture
NVIDIA introduced the Pascal architecture, which offered significant performance improvements and new features for gaming, virtual reality, and AI applications.
2018
Launch of Turing Architecture
NVIDIA launched the Turing architecture, which introduced real-time ray tracing and AI-enhanced graphics, revolutionizing the visual quality of games and professional graphics applications.
2019
Acquisition of Mellanox Technologies
NVIDIA acquired Mellanox Technologies, a leading supplier of high-performance networking solutions, to enhance its data center and AI capabilities.
2020
Introduction of Ampere Architecture
NVIDIA introduced the Ampere architecture, which delivered significant performance and efficiency improvements for gaming, AI, and data center applications.
2022
Launch of NVIDIA Omniverse
NVIDIA launched NVIDIA Omniverse, a collaborative platform for 3D content creation and simulation, aimed at professionals in various industries, including gaming, film, and design.
2023
Introduction of Hopper Architecture
NVIDIA introduced the Hopper architecture, designed to accelerate AI and high-performance computing workloads, further advancing the capabilities of NVIDIA GPUs.
