How a once-tiny research lab helped Nvidia become a $4 trillion-dollar company

The article chronicles the evolution of Nvidia’s research lab from a small group of about a dozen people in 2009, primarily focused on ray tracing, into a robust team of over 400 researchers that has been instrumental in transforming Nvidia from a video game GPU startup into a $4 trillion company driving the AI revolution. Bill Dally, who joined the lab after being persuaded by Nvidia leadership, expanded the lab’s focus beyond graphics to include circuit design and VLSI chip integration. Early on, the lab recognized the potential of AI and began developing specialized GPUs and software for AI applications well before the current surge in AI demand, positioning Nvidia as a leader in AI hardware. Currently, Nvidia’s research efforts are pivoting toward physical AI and robotics, aiming to develop the core technologies that will power future robots. This shift is exemplified by the work of Sanja Fidler, who joined Nvidia in 2018 to lead the Omniverse research lab in Toronto, focusing on simulation models for robotics and