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Chris Malachowsky

Also known as Chris A. Malachowsky

Chris Malachowsky is an NVIDIA co-founder whose engineering leadership helped turn the GPU into a parallel computing platform that enabled the modern AI era. He co-founded NVIDIA with Jensen Huang and Curtis Priem in 1993, and the company unveiled CUDA in 2006 to open GPU parallel processing to science and research. The Florida Inventors Hall of Fame selected him in 2019, and IEEE gave him its Robert N. Noyce Medal in 2026. As of October 2026, he is a founder and NVIDIA Fellow who serves on the executive staff.

Photo of Chris Malachowsky

Timeline

  1. 1993

    Co-founding NVIDIA

    He holds a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Florida and a master's degree in computer science from Santa Clara University. In April 1993 he co-founds NVIDIA with Jensen Huang and Curtis Priem.

  2. 2006

    CUDA for parallel computing

    NVIDIA unveils CUDA in 2006, opening GPU parallel processing to science and research. His engineering leadership helps transform the GPU into a parallel computing platform that enables the modern AI era.

  3. 2019

    Florida Inventors Hall of Fame

    The Florida Inventors Hall of Fame selects him in 2019 for inventing the graphics processing unit.

  4. 2020

    Gifts toward HiPerGator

    UF announces in 2020 a gift of just under $60 million from him and NVIDIA toward HiPerGator, one of the most powerful AI supercomputers in the country.

  5. November 2023

    Malachowsky Hall at Florida

    The University of Florida inaugurates Malachowsky Hall for Data Science & Information Technology in November 2023. The building is a $150 million, seven-story structure.

  6. 2026

    The IEEE Robert N. Noyce Medal

    IEEE gives him its Robert N. Noyce Medal in 2026, for parallel computing architectures and leadership in semiconductor design.

  7. As of October 2026

    Founder and NVIDIA Fellow

    He is a founder and NVIDIA Fellow who serves on the executive staff.

Sources and credits

Photo: Maryland GovPics, via Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY 4.0. Source: commons.wikimedia.org. Cropped to a square and resized. Ask us to remove or replace this photo.

  1. Chris Malachowsky - CHM computerhistory.org. Checked 14 October 2026.
  2. Our History: Innovations Over the Years | NVIDIA nvidia.com. Checked 14 October 2026.
  3. Chris A. Malachowsky - Engineering and Technology History Wiki ethw.org. Checked 14 October 2026.
  4. University of Florida computer graphics pioneer and chemistry professor among 2019 inductees into Florida Inventors Hall of Fame news.ufl.edu. Checked 14 October 2026.
  5. UF opens Malachowsky Hall for Data Science & Information Technology | University of Florida news.ufl.edu. Checked 14 October 2026.
  6. ‘Starship for the Mind’: University of Florida Opens Malachowsky Hall, an Epicenter for AI and Data Science | NVIDIA Blog blogs.nvidia.com. Checked 14 October 2026.
  7. IEEE Celebrates Global Engineering and Technology Excellence at 2026 Honors Ceremony kyodonewsprwire.jp. Checked 14 October 2026.
  8. Exec Bios | NVIDIA Newsroom nvidianews.nvidia.com. Checked 14 October 2026.