NVIDIA CEO Huang thanks SEGA for life-saving support 30 years ago

NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang personally visited Tokyo's Akihabara district to commemorate three decades of collaboration with Japanese gaming giant SEGA. The event also served as a deeply personal moment for Huang to thank former SEGA president Shoichiro Imai for life-saving support.

During the celebration, held in the iconic Akihabara, a hub for arcade culture, Huang stood alongside SEGA representatives, including Chairman and CEO Haruki Satomi and President and COO Muraji Utsumi. Also present were "Virtua Fighter" creator Yu Suzuki and the man Huang credited with NVIDIA's survival, Shoichiro Imai.

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Without SEGA and Mr. Shoichiro Imai's support for NVIDIA, NVIDIA would not be here today.

Huang emotionally acknowledged the pivotal role SEGA and Imai played in NVIDIA's history. "Without SEGA and Mr. Shoichiro Imai's support for NVIDIA, NVIDIA would not be here today," Huang stated. He emphasized the profound significance of their friendship, support, and trust during a critical period for his company.

According to reports, SEGA's crucial intervention came in the mid-1990s, providing $5 million in funding before NVIDIA launched its first successful graphics processing unit (GPU). This investment is credited with saving NVIDIA from near bankruptcy in 1996, underscoring a relationship built on trust and timely assistance.

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SEGA and Mr. Shoichiro Imai, your friendship and support, and your trust in us, mean the world to me.