Intel vs Qualcomm: Founders, CEOs and History

Company facts

Founders

CEOs and their tenures

Timeline: Intel and Qualcomm side by side

1. 1968Intel

   Intel Founded

   Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore founded Intel.

2. 1971Intel

   4004 Microprocessor

   Intel introduced the 4004, one of the first commercial microprocessors.

3. 1985Intel

   386 Processor

   Intel strengthened the x86 franchise that later dominated PCs.

4. 1985Qualcomm

   Qualcomm Founded

   Irwin Jacobs, Andrew Viterbi, and five colleagues found Qualcomm Incorporated in San Diego, California, initially operating as a telecommunications consulting and research firm from a converted restaurant building.

5. 1988Qualcomm

   OmniTRACS Commercial Launch

   Qualcomm commercially launches OmniTRACS, a satellite-based two-way messaging and positioning system for long-haul trucking that becomes the company's first profitable product and funds ongoing CDMA research.

6. 1989Qualcomm

   First Live CDMA Demonstration

   Qualcomm conducts its first outdoor live CDMA demonstration in San Diego, proving the technology works in real-world conditions and attracting serious attention from U.S. Cellular carriers and equipment manufacturers.

7. 1991Qualcomm

   Initial Public Offering

   Qualcomm goes public on the Nasdaq Stock Market in December 1991, raising approximately $43 million at $16 per share in an IPO that gives the company capital to accelerate CDMA commercialization.

8. 1993Intel

   Pentium Processor Launched

   Intel introduced the Pentium processor in 1993.

9. 1993Qualcomm

   IS-95 CDMA Standard Adopted

   The Telecommunications Industry Association formally adopts IS-95, a CDMA standard based substantially on Qualcomm's technology, as an approved digital cellular standard in the United States validating the company's decade-long technological bet.

10. 1995Qualcomm

    First Commercial CDMA Network Launched

    Sprint PCS launches the first commercial CDMA cellular network in the United States, using Qualcomm-based technology and marking the beginning of large-scale commercial deployment that would define U.S. Wireless infrastructure for the next twenty years.

11. 1999Qualcomm

    Strategic Exit from Infrastructure and Handsets

    Qualcomm sells its network infrastructure division to Ericsson and its handset manufacturing business to Kyocera, focusing the company entirely on chip design and patent licensing a strategic concentration that defines its business model to the present day.

12. 2006Intel

    Core Architecture

    Intel revived product leadership with the Core architecture.

13. 2007Qualcomm

    Snapdragon Platform Introduction

    Qualcomm introduces the Snapdragon brand for its mobile system-on-chip processors, establishing a consumer-facing identity for its mobile silicon that would become synonymous with premium Android smartphone performance over the following decade.

14. 2019Qualcomm

    Apple Settlement and Licensing Agreement

    Following years of contentious litigation, Qualcomm and Apple reach a global settlement in April 2019 covering all pending litigation worldwide, with Apple agreeing to a multi-year chip supply deal and a licensing arrangement reportedly involving back payments…

15. 2021Intel

    IDM 2.0 Announced

    Intel announced a strategy to expand manufacturing and foundry capabilities.

16. 2021Intel

    Pat Gelsinger Becomes CEO

    Pat Gelsinger became Intel chief executive in February 2021.

17. 2021Qualcomm

    Nuvia Acquisition

    Qualcomm acquires Nuvia, a CPU startup founded by former Apple Silicon architects, for approximately $1.4 billion, bringing custom CPU design capabilities in-house that power the Oryon cores in Snapdragon 8 Elite and Snapdragon X Elite PC chips.

18. 2023Qualcomm

    Snapdragon X Elite PC Platform Launch

    Qualcomm launches the Snapdragon X Elite and Snapdragon X Plus platforms for Windows PCs, powering Microsoft's Copilot+ PC initiative and marking the company's most significant push into personal computing since the failed Snapdragon 835 PC effort in 2017.

19. 2024Qualcomm

    Snapdragon 8 Elite Launch

    Qualcomm launches the Snapdragon 8 Elite, its first phone chip with custom Oryon CPU cores, built on TSMC's 3nm process.

20. 2025Intel

    Lip-Bu Tan Becomes CEO

    Lip-Bu Tan became CEO and reset the turnaround agenda around execution, cost, and focus.

21. 2025Intel

    $52.853B Revenue

    Intel reported $52.853B in revenue and a $267M net loss attributable to Intel.

22. 2025Intel

    U.S. Government Takes 9.9% Stake

    The U.S. government bought 433.3 million Intel shares at $20.47 for $8.9 billion, becoming the largest shareholder.

23. 2025Intel

    Nvidia Invests $5 Billion

    Nvidia agreed to invest $5 billion in Intel and co-develop x86 PC and data-center products.

24. 2025Intel

    Altera Majority Sold

    Intel closed the sale of 51% of Altera to Silver Lake on September 12, 2025.

25. 2025Qualcomm

    Alphawave Semi Acquisition Completed

    Qualcomm completes its roughly $2.4B purchase of Alphawave Semi to accelerate data center connectivity products.

26. 2026Intel

    Q2 Revenue Up 25%

    Intel reported $16.1 billion in Q2 2026 revenue, its fastest growth in more than 15 years.

27. 2026Qualcomm

    Q2 FY2026 Results and $20B Buyback Authorization

    Qualcomm reports Q2 FY2026 revenue of $10.599B, record quarterly QCT automotive revenue, 20% year-over-year growth in combined QCT automotive and IoT revenue, and a new $20B repurchase authorization.

28. 2026Qualcomm

    Q3 FY2026 Results and $40B Non-Handset Target

    Qualcomm reports Q3 FY2026 revenue of $9.9B (down 4%), automotive revenue up 61% to $1.6B, and raises its FY2029 non-handset revenue target to $40B.

Acquisitions

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