We all know NVIDIA for its GPUs, for professional applications as well as for gaming. But what other sectors of the computer industry has it invested in, through acquisition?
Mellanox Technologies Ltd. – bought in March 2019 for $6.9 Billion
The purchase of the Israeli network and cloud computing company was a clear sign that NVIDIA is intent on being an even bigger player in the burgeoning supercomputer market and that diversification is core to its development strategy.
3dfx Interactive, Inc. – bought in April 2002 for $70 million in cash, plus shares
The chips, boards, and software that NVIDIA acquired are used extensively in video games, educational content, and business applications.
MediaQ – bought in August 2003 for $70 million
This potential graphics and multimedia technology rival was acquired to extend NVIDIA’s reach into the wireless mobile device market.
Hybrid Graphics Ltd. – bought in March 2006 for an undisclosed sum
Another company acquired for its handheld device technology.
Arm Ltd. – the $40 Billion purchase was first announced in September 2020
The largest deal by far. Arm develops, and licences designs that other companies turn into chips and gives NVIDIA an advantage in smartphone technology, AI, cloud computing, self-driving cars and robotics
Arm will retain its name and brand identity, and, subject to regulatory approval of the deal, prior owner SoftBank will retain an ownership stake of under 10% in Nvidia.
Source: Investopedia