Qualcomm

Qualcomm designs chips and licenses wireless technology. Irwin Jacobs, Andrew Viterbi and five colleagues started it in 1985 in San Diego. Early work centered on CDMA, a method for sending voice and data over radio that became part of mobile phone standards.

The Snapdragon line of processors runs in many Android phones. These chips combine the main processor, graphics, a modem and AI hardware. Qualcomm does not operate its own factories and sends its designs to foundries for production.

Licensing is a second business. Phone makers pay royalties for patents covering cellular standards, and this has led to disputes with Apple and regulators. The company also sells chips for cars, laptops, wearables and connected devices in homes and factories. Cristiano Amon has been chief executive since 2021. Snapdragon chips for Windows laptops mark a push beyond phones. The company also sells modems and radio parts that connect devices to 4G and 5G networks, and it works with carmakers on connected vehicles.