Hitachi vs Marvell: Founders, CEOs and History
Hitachi was founded in 1910 by Namihei Odaira and is led by Toshiaki Tokunaga. Marvell was founded in 1995 by Sehat Sutardja, Weili Dai, Pantas Sutardja and is led by Matthew J. Murphy.
Company facts
Founders
Hitachi
Namihei Odaira
Hitachi possesses a historic, foundational founding story, rooted in the industrialization of early 20th-century Japan and driven by a nationalist obsession with technological independence.
Marvell
Sehat Sutardja
Sehat Sutardja (1961-2024) was born in Indonesia and earned his master's and PhD in electrical engineering and computer science at UC Berkeley.
Weili Dai
Weili Dai was born in Shanghai and studied computer science at UC Berkeley. She co-founded Marvell in 1995 with her husband Sehat Sutardja and his brother Pantas, and led sales, operations and partnerships, later serving as president.
Pantas Sutardja
Pantas Sutardja, Sehat's brother and also a UC Berkeley-trained electrical engineer, co-founded Marvell in 1995 and worked on its core mixed-signal and storage technology, later serving as chief technology officer.
CEOs and their tenures
Hitachi
- Toshiaki Higashihara2016–2022
Former President and Chief Executive Officer
Shifted Hitachi from a sprawling conglomerate toward infrastructure and digital businesses.
Source - Keiji Kojima2022–2025
Executive Chairman (CEO 2022-2025)
Finished much of the portfolio cleanup and handed over a more focused group to Tokunaga.
Source - Toshiaki Tokunaga2025–present
President and Chief Executive Officer
Brings an energy and rail background to the top job as Hitachi Energy and Hitachi Rail drive more of the group's growth.
Source
Marvell
- Sehat Sutardja1995–2016
Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer
As co-founder and long-time CEO, he scaled the company from a small startup into a multi-billion dollar semiconductor powerhouse before being ousted by the board in 2016 following an internal accounting probe.
Source - Matthew J. Murphy2016–present
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Became CEO in 2016 after 22 years at Maxim Integrated. Exited mobile and consumer chips, bought Cavium, Inphi and Innovium, sold automotive Ethernet and refocused Marvell on data infrastructure and AI.
Source - Dan Durn2026–present
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
As CFO, he aggressively optimized the company's debt profile and oversaw the financial strategy that heavily repositioned Marvell as a pure-play cloud and AI infrastructure provider.
Source
Timeline: Hitachi and Marvell side by side
1910Hitachi
Founding and First Induction Motor
Namihei Odaira establishes the machinery repair shop that becomes Hitachi, and develops Japan's first 5-horsepower induction motor, establishing the foundation for the company's dominance in electrical engineering.
1932Hitachi
Expansion into Railway Technology
Hitachi begins manufacturing electric locomotives and rail signaling systems, establishing a deep, institutionalized relationship with the Japanese national railway network that would evolve into the modern Hitachi Rail division.
1959Hitachi
Entry into Computing and Electronics
Hitachi develops its first electronic computer, the HITAC, marking the company's strategic entry into the information technology sector and laying the groundwork for its future digital systems business.
1995Marvell
Marvell founded
Sehat Sutardja, Weili Dai and Pantas Sutardja found Marvell to build CMOS read-channel chips for hard disk drives.
2000Marvell
Nasdaq IPO
Marvell lists on Nasdaq under the ticker MRVL.
2001Marvell
Galileo Technology acquired
Marvell buys Israeli networking chipmaker Galileo Technology in a stock deal of about $2.7 billion, building its Ethernet switch business.
2006Marvell
Intel XScale business acquired
Marvell buys Intel's communications and application processor (XScale) business for about $600 million, expanding into mobile chips it later exited.
2016Hitachi
Toshiaki Higashihara becomes CEO
Toshiaki Higashihara became CEO of Hitachi in 2016. Shifted Hitachi from a sprawling conglomerate toward infrastructure and digital businesses.
2016Marvell
Matt Murphy becomes CEO
After an audit committee investigation and a settlement with Starboard Value, the founders leave and former Maxim executive Matt Murphy becomes CEO.
2018Marvell
Cavium acquired
Marvell acquires Cavium for about $6 billion, adding OCTEON processors and networking products.
2019Marvell
Aquantia and Avera Semi acquired
Marvell buys Aquantia for about $452 million and GlobalFoundries' Avera Semi custom ASIC unit for $650 million.
2020Hitachi
Acquisition of ABB's Power Grids Business
Hitachi executes the $11 billion acquisition of ABB's Power Grids business, renaming it Hitachi Energy and instantly establishing the company as the global leader in HVDC transmission and grid infrastructure.
2021Hitachi
Acquisition of GlobalLogic
The company acquires the global digital engineering firm GlobalLogic for $9.6 billion, instantly establishing Hitachi as a top-tier provider of advanced software and product design services for the automotive and telecommunications sectors.
2021Marvell
Inphi acquired and move to Delaware
Marvell closes its roughly $10 billion Inphi acquisition, adding optical DSPs, and redomiciles from Bermuda to Delaware as Marvell Technology, Inc.
2021Marvell
Innovium acquired
Marvell acquires Ethernet switch startup Innovium for about $1.1 billion in stock, adding the Teralynx switch family.
2022Hitachi
Hitachi Construction Machinery Stake Sale
Hitachi sold a controlling stake in Hitachi Construction Machinery to Itochu and Japan Industrial Partners, part of its exit from cyclical listed subsidiaries.
2024Hitachi
Acquired Thales Ground Transportation Systems
Hitachi acquired Thales Ground Transportation Systems. Hitachi Rail completed its ~$1.88 billion (EUR 1.66 billion) acquisition of Thales's Ground Transportation Systems business, its rail signalling division, expanding Hitachi Rail to 51 countries and shiftin…
2025Hitachi
Toshiaki Tokunaga Becomes CEO
Toshiaki Tokunaga became President and CEO on April 1, 2025, succeeding Keiji Kojima, who became Executive Chairman.
2025Marvell
Automotive Ethernet sold to Infineon
Marvell completes the $2.5 billion sale of its automotive Ethernet business to Infineon, recognizing a pre-tax gain of about $1.8 billion.
2026Hitachi
Record Results and Home Appliance Sale
Hitachi reported record FY2025 profit in April 2026 and agreed to sell 80.1% of its home appliance business to Nojima for about $737 million (¥110 billion).
2026Marvell
Celestial AI acquisition closes
On February 2, 2026, Marvell completes its acquisition of photonic interconnect startup Celestial AI, valued at about $3.25 billion upfront in cash and stock.
2026Marvell
Fiscal 2026 revenue of $8.195 billion
Marvell reports fiscal 2026 net revenue of $8.195 billion, up 42%, with Data Center at 74%.
2026Marvell
Nvidia invests $2 billion
On March 31, 2026, Nvidia invests $2 billion in Marvell and the companies partner to connect Marvell silicon to Nvidia systems through NVLink Fusion.
2026Marvell
Dan Durn named CFO
Former Adobe CFO Dan Durn becomes Marvell CFO on June 15, 2026, succeeding Willem Meintjes.
2026Marvell
Record Q2 fiscal 2027 revenue
Marvell reports record quarterly revenue of $2.739 billion, up 37% year over year, and raises its fiscal 2027 and 2028 outlook.
Acquisitions
Hitachi
- Thales Ground Transportation Systems2024Undisclosed
- GlobalLogic2021Undisclosed
- ABB Power Grids2020Undisclosed
Marvell
- Celestial AI2026$3.3B
- Inphi Corporation2021$10B
- Innovium2021$1.1B
- Cavium2018$6B
Questions about Hitachi vs Marvell
Who is the CEO of Hitachi, Ltd. and Marvell Technology, Inc.?
Hitachi, Ltd. is led by Toshiaki Tokunaga and Marvell Technology, Inc. is led by Matthew J. Murphy. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Hitachi, Ltd. founded vs Marvell Technology, Inc.?
Hitachi, Ltd. was founded in 1910 — 85 years before Marvell Technology, Inc., which was founded in 1995. Hitachi, Ltd.'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Marvell Technology, Inc..
How many employees does Hitachi, Ltd. have compared to Marvell Technology, Inc.?
Hitachi, Ltd. employs approximately 287,901 people, while Marvell Technology, Inc. employs approximately 7,400. Hitachi, Ltd. has the larger workforce at 287,901 employees, compared to Marvell Technology, Inc.'s 7,400. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Hitachi, Ltd. and Marvell Technology, Inc. headquartered?
Hitachi, Ltd. is headquartered in Japan and Marvell Technology, Inc. is headquartered in United States. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded Hitachi, Ltd. and Marvell Technology, Inc.?
Hitachi, Ltd. was founded by Namihei Odaira. Marvell Technology, Inc. was founded by Sehat Sutardja, Weili Dai, Pantas Sutardja.
Which company has a longer operating history — Hitachi, Ltd. or Marvell Technology, Inc.?
Hitachi, Ltd. has been operating for approximately 116 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Marvell Technology, Inc. has been in operation for around 31 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Hitachi vs Marvell overview