Semiconductors are among the most sought-after technologies today, as they play a crucial role in the development of artificial intelligence and its underlying technologies. Specialized semiconductors provide the processing power required to train and run AI systems, and they are often referred to as the “picks and shovels” of the AI race.
Fortunately for the Bay Area, the region is home to many of the world’s most advanced semiconductor companies, some of which trace their roots back to the region since the 1950s. From Nvidia — arguably the leader in the AI semiconductor space — to companies like Lam Research that specialize chip-manufacturing equipment, Silicon Valley plays a central role in the development of specialized hardware.
Bay Area Semiconductor Companies You Should Know
- Nvidia
- TSMC
- Intel
- AMD
- Coherent
- Applied Materials
- Lam Research
Founded: 1993
Location: Santa Clara
What they do: Nvidia designs high-performance graphics processing units and computing platforms that are specially optimized for AI training. Its products include the Blackwell B200 chips, which feature 208 billion transistors and 10 terabytes of chip-to-chip interconnect, allowing arrays of similar chips to function as a single system and is essential for AI development. While Nvidia’s Blackwell chips remain popular, its newer Vera Rubin — set for release in 2026 — is expected to deliver even better performance.
Founded: 1987
Location: San Jose
What they do: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is a major player in the semiconductor industry. The company does not design its own semiconductors, but instead specializes in manufacturing custom chips for companies like Nvidia, Apple and AMD. TSMC is regarded as one of the first pure-foundries and today controls 72 percent of the market.
Founded: 1968
Location: Santa Clara
What they do: Intel is one of the longest running U.S.-founded semiconductor companies and operates as an integrated device manufacturer (IDM). This means it both designs and manufactures semiconductors in-house. Intel’s AI-specific chips include the Gaudi 3 and Core Ultra processors, which power everything from personal computers with AI features to data centers and autonomous vehicles. The company also develops a slew of other hardware that has helped it expand into the data centers space as it looks to provide organizations with infrastructure to deploy AI platforms.
Founded: 1969
Location: Santa Clara
What they do: AMD’s technologies are designed to take computing and gaming abilities far beyond what is considered standard. The company specializes in creating high-powered processors and graphics systems that optimize performance for both professional and leisurely uses, and AMD works closely with the gaming industry to ensure its technologies enhance user experience as more releases hit the market.
Founded: 1985
Location: Santa Clara
What they do: Qualcomm is a fabless semiconductor company, specializing in designing and marketing. The company has long been known for its mobile device chips like its Snapdragon processors, but recently announced new products developed specifically for AI data center processing. Its new products include the AI200 and AI250 chips — slated for release in 2026 and 2027 – and aim to provide a lower total cost of ownership than competing semiconductors.
Founded: 2006
Location: San Jose
What they do: Presto Engineering offers a mix of turn-key and engineering solutions that improve the production of IoT and 5G devices, allowing chipmakers to shorten the time required for products to hit the market. The company offers heightened expertise in developing RF, analog, mixed-signal and secured applications, utilizing state-of-the-art in-house equipment to provide clients with high-volume manufacturing without infrastructural investments.
Founded: 1994
Location: San Jose
What they do: Alien Technology manufactures integrated circuits with embedded RFID transceiver chips to ensure items in a multitude of verticals can be inventoried and transported properly. Along with ICs, Alien Technology creates RFID readers and antennas, RFID tags and additional RFID related solutions that have become crucial for life sciences, transportation, retail and item tagging companies.
Founded: 2011
Location: San Jose and Sunnyvale
What they do: Sentons is a pioneer in creating surface-agnostic touchscreen technology, utilizing a mix of acoustic electromechanics and proprietary SurfaceWave technology to design interactive surfaces regardless of shape or material. Touchscreen technology from Sentons has been applied to several popular wearable, mobile, automotive and PC devices. The company also produces software that includes gesture-tracking algorithms that provide better user experiences in all devices.
Founded: 1980
Location: Freemont
What they do: While TSMC is essential to chip designers, Lam Research plays a key role for IDMs and foundries like TSMC. The company develops, manufactures and services equipment used in wafer fabrication. Its equipment creates the microscopic structures needed to fabricate transistors and integrated circuits on the silicon base of a semiconductor.
Founded: 2018
Location: San Jose
What they do: Celera Semiconductor is among the first manufacturers to be able to offer custom integrated circuit designs built on an AI-driven platform. By automating semiconductor design, Celera is able to deliver chip layouts 100x faster than legacy teams and flows — a feat nearly unheard of in analog/mixed-signal applications, leading to a reimagined R&D process.
Founded: 2016
Location: San Jose
What they do: Atmosic’s primary focus is dedicated to improving the longevity and connectivity of IoT devices by either eliminating the need for batteries or creating battery-powered systems that last forever. Utilizing advancements in Bluetooth and CMOS RF design, Atmosic designs products with unparalleled range, speed and bandwidth that are powered through Controlled Energy Harvesting, leading to battery tech that currently reaches up to 100 times lower power.
Founded: 2023
Location: San Fransisco
What they do: Atomic Semi is a newcomer to the semiconductor industry but is already looking to shake up the space. The company is developing small but highly efficient semiconductors using equipment built in-house. The process could shorten development time for new semiconductors, allowing for faster prototyping.
Founded: 2015
Location: San Jose
What they do: For both large and small businesses in the semiconductor industry, SiFive offers an open-source software automation platform that allows for rapid designing and testing of RISC-V-based core IP and chips. SiFi’s platform allows creators to design custom chipsets without an expertise in Silicon design and does not require a high-volume expertise, making it ideal for prototyping and smaller operations.
Founded: 1967
Location: Santa Clara
What they do: Applied Materials creates materials engineering solutions that impact nearly every new chip and advanced display that hits the market. While many manufacturers can only utilize their advanced abilities on a smaller scale, Applied Materials operates on an industrial scale and is an expert at modifying materials at the atomic level, leading to faster developments that affect entire industries at a time.
Founded: 1971
Location: Santa Clara
What they do: Coherent is among the world’s leaders in semiconductor manufacturing and development, creating solutions for companies that operate in many of the most crucial industries. From optical communication and consumer markets to aerospace and life science uses, Coherent has a wealth of technical creativity to tap into when manufacturing solutions to challenges previously thought impossible to solve.
Founded: 1995
Location: Santa Clara
What they do: Marvell’s silicon technologies are designed to further capabilities in the automotive, enterprise and cloud industries, designing comprehensive solutions involving processor, switch, SSD and Ethernet products. From building the data center of the future to connecting automotive networking technology through a centralized Ethernet, Marvell aims to create solutions that allow better connectivity across verticals.
Founded: 1983
Location: San Jose
What they do: SK hynix is one of the largest silicon manufacturers worldwide and operates its American headquarters and an arm of its R&D department in San Jose. The company focuses largely on developing and manufacturing DRAM, SSD and CMOS image sensor technology, constantly researching new ways to apply its technology while fostering global technical competition — leading to more consistent advances in speed and performance and impacting all walks of life.
