- Annual Revenue (2024): $25.8 billion with 14% year-over-year growth
- Market Capitalization: Approximately $420 billion (January 2026)
- Employees: 28,000 worldwide
- Data Center Revenue (2024): $12.6 billion, up 94% year-over-year
- Founded: May 1, 1969, in Sunnyvale, California
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD) is a global semiconductor company headquartered in Santa Clara, California. The company designs and manufactures central processing units (CPUs), graphics processing units (GPUs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and system-on-chip solutions.
AMD serves multiple markets including personal computers, gaming consoles, data centers, and embedded systems. The company operates as a fabless semiconductor manufacturer, outsourcing production to foundries like TSMC and GlobalFoundries.
Under CEO Lisa Su’s leadership since 2014, AMD has transformed from a struggling chipmaker to a major force in high-performance computing. The company powers PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X consoles while competing directly with Intel in processors and Nvidia in graphics cards.
AMD History
Jerry Sanders and seven colleagues from Fairchild Semiconductor founded Advanced Micro Devices on May 1 in Sunnyvale, California. The company began as a producer of logic chips.
AMD entered the RAM chip market and introduced a reverse-engineered clone of the Intel 8080 microprocessor, beginning its long rivalry with Intel.
AMD secured a licensing agreement with Intel to produce x86 processors, enabling the company to manufacture chips for IBM PCs.
AMD released the Am386 processor, a reverse-engineered clone of Intel’s 386 that proved the company could compete independently in the microprocessor market.
AMD acquired NexGen for $850 million, gaining the engineering talent that would develop the K6 processor line.
AMD launched the Athlon processor based on K7 architecture, achieving the first 1 GHz processor milestone in March 2000 ahead of Intel.
AMD introduced 64-bit computing with Opteron server processors and Athlon 64 desktop chips, pioneering the x86-64 architecture now standard in computing.
AMD acquired ATI Technologies for $5.4 billion, adding graphics processing capabilities and creating the foundation for future APU products.
AMD spun off its manufacturing operations into GlobalFoundries, becoming a fabless semiconductor company focused on chip design.
Lisa Su became CEO, beginning a transformation that would revitalize the company’s competitive position in the semiconductor industry.
AMD launched Ryzen processors based on the Zen architecture, delivering competitive performance against Intel for the first time in years.
AMD completed its $50 billion acquisition of Xilinx, adding FPGA technology and expanding into data center and embedded markets.
AMD acquired ZT Systems for $4.9 billion to strengthen AI server capabilities and announced a partnership with OpenAI for AI data center development.
AMD Co-founders
Jerry Sanders III
Former Fairchild Semiconductor marketing director who served as AMD’s CEO from 1969 to 2002. Known for his sales expertise and the quote “real men have fabs.”
Jack Gifford
Engineer from Fairchild Semiconductor who helped establish AMD’s early technical foundations and product development strategy.
John Carey
Fairchild colleague who contributed to AMD’s founding operations and early semiconductor manufacturing capabilities.
Ed Turney
Former Fairchild executive who helped organize the founding team and establish AMD’s initial business operations.
Sven Simonsen
Engineer who contributed technical expertise to AMD’s early chip designs and manufacturing processes.
Frank Botte
Member of Jack Gifford’s team at Fairchild who joined the founding group to establish AMD’s engineering capabilities.
Jim Giles
Technical co-founder from Gifford’s Fairchild team who supported early product development at AMD.
Larry Stenger
Founding team member who contributed to AMD’s initial operations and growth during its formative years.
AMD Revenue
AMD achieved record annual revenue of $25.8 billion in 2024, representing 14% growth from the previous year. The data center segment drove much of this growth with $12.6 billion in sales.
The company’s revenue trajectory shows remarkable recovery since 2015 when annual sales stood at just $4 billion. Lisa Su’s strategic focus on high-performance computing and data center markets transformed AMD’s financial performance.
AMD Market Cap
AMD’s market capitalization reached approximately $420 billion in January 2026. The company’s valuation increased by over 77% during 2025 as investors recognized AMD’s growing position in AI chip markets.
This represents dramatic growth from 2015 when AMD’s market cap stood below $2 billion. The semiconductor industry’s AI boom has particularly benefited AMD’s data center business.
AMD Acquisitions
AMD has pursued strategic acquisitions to expand its technology portfolio and market reach. The company’s acquisition strategy accelerated under Lisa Su’s leadership, focusing on data center and AI capabilities.
The 2006 ATI Technologies acquisition for $5.4 billion brought graphics processing expertise to AMD. This deal enabled the development of accelerated processing units (APUs) that combine CPU and GPU functionality on a single chip. ATI’s Radeon graphics brand became a cornerstone of AMD’s consumer and professional graphics business.
AMD’s 2022 acquisition of Xilinx for approximately $50 billion marked the largest deal in semiconductor industry history at that time. Xilinx brought field-programmable gate array (FPGA) technology and expanded AMD’s presence in data centers, telecommunications, and embedded applications. The combined company now offers a broader range of adaptive computing solutions for customers like Broadcom competitors.
The same year, AMD acquired Pensando for $1.9 billion, adding data processing unit (DPU) technology to its portfolio. Pensando’s chips handle networking, storage, and security tasks, reducing workload on main processors in data center environments.
In 2024, AMD announced the acquisition of ZT Systems for $4.9 billion. ZT Systems designs custom AI server infrastructure, strengthening AMD’s ability to compete with Nvidia in the booming AI accelerator market. AMD also acquired Silo AI, a Finnish artificial intelligence startup, for $665 million to enhance its AI software capabilities.
Earlier acquisitions include SeaMicro in 2012 for $334 million, which brought low-power server technology, and NexGen in 1996 for $850 million, providing the engineering foundation for AMD’s successful K6 and subsequent processor architectures.
AMD Competitors
AMD competes across multiple semiconductor markets against established technology companies. Intel remains AMD’s primary rival in x86 processors for PCs and servers, while Nvidia dominates the GPU market for AI and gaming.
The competitive landscape has intensified as artificial intelligence drives demand for specialized chips. Companies like Qualcomm have announced plans to enter the AI accelerator market, adding pressure on AMD’s data center business.
| Company | Primary Competition Area | Key Products |
|---|---|---|
| Intel Corporation | CPUs, Data Center | Core, Xeon, Gaudi AI chips |
| Nvidia Corporation | GPUs, AI Accelerators | GeForce, Blackwell, Hopper |
| Qualcomm | Mobile, AI Chips | Snapdragon, AI200 series |
| Broadcom Inc. | Data Center, Networking | Custom AI chips, ASICs |
| Apple Inc. | Consumer CPUs, GPUs | M-series processors |
| Samsung Electronics | Memory, Mobile SoCs | Exynos processors |
| MediaTek | Mobile Processors | Dimensity chipsets |
| Marvell Technology | Data Center, Networking | Custom AI silicon |
| ARM Holdings | Processor Architecture | Neoverse, Cortex designs |
| Texas Instruments | Analog, Embedded | Industrial processors |
FAQs
Who founded AMD and when?
Jerry Sanders III and seven colleagues from Fairchild Semiconductor founded AMD on May 1, 1969, in Sunnyvale, California. The company began as a producer of logic chips before entering the microprocessor market.
What products does AMD manufacture?
AMD designs CPUs (Ryzen, EPYC), GPUs (Radeon), FPGAs (from Xilinx acquisition), and APUs. The company also produces semi-custom chips for gaming consoles including PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.
Who is AMD’s current CEO?
Dr. Lisa Su has served as AMD’s CEO since October 2014. Under her leadership, AMD’s market value grew from under $3 billion to over $400 billion through successful Ryzen and EPYC processor launches.
What was AMD’s largest acquisition?
AMD acquired Xilinx for approximately $50 billion in February 2022. This all-stock transaction added FPGA technology and expanded AMD’s data center and embedded systems business significantly.
Where is AMD headquartered?
AMD is headquartered in Santa Clara, California, with major operations in Austin, Texas. The company employs approximately 28,000 people worldwide across engineering and business functions.
