Nvidia’s Napkin-sketch Founding and Sega-funded RIVA 128 Save Propel Trillion-Dollar Growth
Founded on a napkin at a San Jose Denny’s in April 1993, Nvidia’s name and logo evoke envy and the company has grown into a multi-trillion-dollar semiconductor leader serving global hyperscalers. Facing near-bankruptcy in the mid-1990s, Nvidia secured a $5 million Sega payment to develop the RIVA 128 chip.
1. Napkin-sketch Founding
In April 1993, Jensen Huang, Chris Malachowski and Curtis Priem sketched Nvidia’s initial business plan on a Denny’s napkin in San Jose. The company’s name combines the Latin invidia (envy) with NV for “next version,” and its green logo was crafted to evoke envy as it expanded into a multi-trillion-dollar semiconductor leader serving major global cloud providers.
2. Mid-1990s Crisis and Sega Lifeline
A failed Sega Dreamcast graphics-chip deal in the mid-1990s pushed Nvidia to the brink of bankruptcy. With just months of cash left, Huang secured a $5 million final payment from Sega to complete the RIVA 128 chip, a crucial lifeline that stabilized operations and paved the way for Nvidia’s January 1999 public offering.