NVIDIA’s Journey: From Gaming Graphics to AI Pioneers

Founding of NVIDIA: The Visionary Start

NVIDIA’s story began in 1993 when 30-year-old Jensen Huang co-founded the company with two partners in California. The name “NVIDIA” is derived from the Latin word “invidia,” meaning envy, reflecting their ambition to create products that others would envy. As a passionate gamer, Huang believed that personal computers would become the mainstream platform for gaming and multimedia. This foresight became the foundation of NVIDIA’s success.

Early Struggles and a Key Turning Point

In 1995, NVIDIA launched the NV1 graphics card, which caught the attention of the renowned Japanese gaming company Sega, resulting in a substantial $7 million contract. However, NVIDIA’s technology choices led to a product that did not meet expectations, pushing the company to the brink of bankruptcy. Huang made a critical decision to honestly acknowledge the failure to Sega, proposing to halt the contract but still requesting the full payment to help NVIDIA survive. Surprisingly, Sega agreed, and the $7 million lifeline allowed NVIDIA to continue its operations.

Rebounding with RIVA128

With the newfound funds, NVIDIA pivoted to align with Microsoft’s technology, developing…