US – Venture Capital

Ranked: America’s Largest Semiconductor Companies

June 5, 2023 by Marcus Lu

This post is by Marcus Lu from Visual Capitalist

Ranking America’s Largest Semiconductor Companies
As our world moves further into an era of widespread digitization, few industries can be considered as important as semiconductors.
These components are found in almost everything we use on a daily basis, and the ability to produce them domestically has become a topic of national security. For example, in 2022 the Biden administration announced the CHIPS and Science Act, which aims to strengthen America’s position in everything from clean energy to artificial intelligence.
With this in mind, we’ve ranked the top 15 U.S. semiconductor companies by their market capitalizations.
Data and Highlights
The data we used to create this infographic is listed in the table below. Year-to-date (YTD) returns were included for additional context. Both metrics are as of May 30, 2023.
Rank Company Ticker Market Cap (USD billions) YTD Return
1 Nvidia NVDA $992 180.2%
2 Broadcom AVGO $335 45.1%
3 AMD AMD $202 95.7%
4 Texas Instruments TXN $160 8.2%
5 Qualcomm QCOM $129 8.2%
6 Intel INTC $125 12.2%
7 Applied Materials AMAT $115 41.2%
8 Analog Devices ADI $89 9.2%
9 Lam Research LRCX $85 52.1%
10 Micron Technology MU $78 42.3%
11 Snyopsys SNPS $71 45.4%
12 KLA KLAC $63 21.8%
13 Marvell Technology Group MRVL $54 76.2%
14 Microchip Technology MCHP $42 11.2%
15 ON Semiconductor ON $36 36.3%

At the top is Nvidia, which became America’s newest $1 trillion company on Tuesday, May 30th. Shares pulled back slightly over the day and Nvidia closed at (Read more...)

Rank	Company	Ticker	Market Cap (USD billions)	YTD Return
1	Nvidia	NVDA	$992	180.2%
2	Broadcom	AVGO	$335	45.1%
3	AMD	AMD	$202	95.7%
4	Texas Instruments	TXN	$160	8.2%
5	Qualcomm	QCOM	$129	8.2%
6	Intel	INTC	$125	12.2%
7	Applied Materials	AMAT	$115	41.2%
8	Analog Devices	ADI	$89	9.2%
9	Lam Research	LRCX	$85	52.1%
10	Micron Technology	MU	$78	42.3%
11	Snyopsys	SNPS	$71	45.4%
12	KLA	KLAC	$63	21.8%
13	Marvell Technology Group	MRVL	$54	76.2%
14	Microchip Technology	MCHP	$42	11.2%
15	ON Semiconductor	ON	$36	36.3%

Ranked: America’s Largest Semiconductor Companies

June 5, 2023 by Marcus Lu
This post is by Marcus Lu from Visual Capitalist

Ranking America’s Largest Semiconductor Companies
As our world moves further into an era of widespread digitization, few industries can be considered as important as semiconductors.
These components are found in almost everything we use on a daily basis, and the ability to produce them domestically has become a topic of national security. For example, in 2022 the Biden administration announced the CHIPS and Science Act, which aims to strengthen America’s position in everything from clean energy to artificial intelligence.
With this in mind, we’ve ranked the top 15 U.S. semiconductor companies by their market capitalizations.
Data and Highlights
The data we used to create this infographic is listed in the table below. Year-to-date (YTD) returns were included for additional context. Both metrics are as of May 30, 2023.
Rank Company Ticker Market Cap (USD billions) YTD Return
1 Nvidia NVDA $992 180.2%
2 Broadcom AVGO $335 45.1%
3 AMD AMD $202 95.7%
4 Texas Instruments TXN $160 8.2%
5 Qualcomm QCOM $129 8.2%
6 Intel INTC $125 12.2%
7 Applied Materials AMAT $115 41.2%
8 Analog Devices ADI $89 9.2%
9 Lam Research LRCX $85 52.1%
10 Micron Technology MU $78 42.3%
11 Snyopsys SNPS $71 45.4%
12 KLA KLAC $63 21.8%
13 Marvell Technology Group MRVL $54 76.2%
14 Microchip Technology MCHP $42 11.2%
15 ON Semiconductor ON $36 36.3%

At the top is Nvidia, which became America’s newest $1 trillion company on Tuesday, May 30th. Shares pulled back slightly over the day and Nvidia closed at (Read more...)

Rank	Company	Ticker	Market Cap (USD billions)	YTD Return
1	Nvidia	NVDA	$992	180.2%
2	Broadcom	AVGO	$335	45.1%
3	AMD	AMD	$202	95.7%
4	Texas Instruments	TXN	$160	8.2%
5	Qualcomm	QCOM	$129	8.2%
6	Intel	INTC	$125	12.2%
7	Applied Materials	AMAT	$115	41.2%
8	Analog Devices	ADI	$89	9.2%
9	Lam Research	LRCX	$85	52.1%
10	Micron Technology	MU	$78	42.3%
11	Snyopsys	SNPS	$71	45.4%
12	KLA	KLAC	$63	21.8%
13	Marvell Technology Group	MRVL	$54	76.2%
14	Microchip Technology	MCHP	$42	11.2%
15	ON Semiconductor	ON	$36	36.3%

Interactive: Comparing Military Spend Around the World

June 4, 2023 by Pallavi Rao
This post is by Pallavi Rao from Visual Capitalist

Comparing Military Spend Around the World
One of the easiest ways to identify a nation’s priorities is by tracking its expenditures, and military spend is no different.
Usually spending is measured, and ranked, in absolute amounts. For example, countries around the world collectively spent $2.1 trillion on their militaries in 2021, with the most coming from the U.S. ($800 billion), China ($293 billion), and India ($77 billion).
But these eye-popping figures are best understood in the context of each country’s economy. Using data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Varun Jain has visualized 158 countries’ military expenditures, both as a percentage of their total GDP as well as in average per-capita spend.
Countries’ Military Spend as a Percentage of their Economy
To begin, Jain identified three categories of military expenditure as a percent of GDP, using the five-year (2018‒2022) average for more consistent data:
Military Spend % of GDP Countries
High Above 5% 7
Medium 2‒5% 44
Low Below 2% 107
Under this categorization, the stand outs are the countries spending an outsized amount of their economic output on military, rather than the highest total spenders in absolute terms.
At the top of the table is Ukraine, which has earmarked a staggering average of 9.46% of its total economic output on defense over the past five years. That’s well ahead of second-place Saudi Arabia, which is (Read more...)

Military Spend	% of GDP	Countries
High	Above 5%	7
Medium	2‒5%	44
Low	Below 2%	107

Charted: The World’s Aging Population from 1950 to 2100

May 29, 2023 by Freny Fernandes
This post is by Freny Fernandes from Visual Capitalist

Charted: The World’s Aging Population from 1950 to 2100
As demographics continue to shift in the 21st century, the world’s aging population will continue to be a focal point for many global decision makers.
Most countries around the world have experienced population explosions, or are about to. Combine this with declining birth rates and falling mortality rates, and it’s clear that the global senior population will continue to reach new heights.
These graphics by Pablo Alvarez use data from the 2022 UN World Population Prospects to visualize this increasing aging population across countries.
The World’s Aging Population from 1950 to 2100
In 2022, there were 771 million people aged 65+ years globally, accounting for almost 10% of the world’s population.
This segment has been growing at an increasing rate, and it’s expected to hit 16% in 2050, and eventually 24% by 2100. Here’s what that’s projected to look like, for every country and territory.
Country by Population Aged +65 Years 1950 2022 2100
Afghanistan 2.85% 2.39% 16.03%
Albania 6.04% 16.66% 49.08%
Algeria 3.49% 6.39% 28.83%
American Samoa 2.38% 7.27% 45.41%
Andorra 10.02% 14.98% 37.04%
Angola 2.93% 2.6% 12.07%
Anguilla 3.69% 10.71% 37.49%
Antigua and Barbuda 4.14% 10.63% 35.4%
Argentina 4.13% 11.92% 31.79%
Armenia 8.17% 13.15% 36.13%
Aruba 1.77% 16.15% 36.51%
Australia 8.17% 16.9% 31.38%
Austria 10.42% 19.81% 33.93%
Azerbaijan 6.89% 7.11% 30.5%
Bahamas 4.76% 8.89% 29.58%
Bahrain 2.88% 3.76% 21.89%
Bangladesh 3.9% 6.04% 32.56%
Barbados 5.24% 16.28% 33.19%
Belarus 8.24% 17.18% 30.45%
Belgium 11.03% 19.73% 32.83%
Belize 3.57% (Read more...)

Country by Population Aged +65 Years	1950	2022	2100
Afghanistan	2.85%	2.39%	16.03%
Albania	6.04%	16.66%	49.08%
Algeria	3.49%	6.39%	28.83%
American Samoa	2.38%	7.27%	45.41%
Andorra	10.02%	14.98%	37.04%
Angola	2.93%	2.6%	12.07%
Anguilla	3.69%	10.71%	37.49%
Antigua and Barbuda	4.14%	10.63%	35.4%
Argentina	4.13%	11.92%	31.79%
Armenia	8.17%	13.15%	36.13%
Aruba	1.77%	16.15%	36.51%
Australia	8.17%	16.9%	31.38%
Austria	10.42%	19.81%	33.93%
Azerbaijan	6.89%	7.11%	30.5%
Bahamas	4.76%	8.89%	29.58%
Bahrain	2.88%	3.76%	21.89%
Bangladesh	3.9%	6.04%	32.56%
Barbados	5.24%	16.28%	33.19%
Belarus	8.24%	17.18%	30.45%
Belgium	11.03%	19.73%	32.83%
Belize	3.57%	(Read more...)

Charted: Public Trust in the Federal Reserve

May 23, 2023 by Marcus Lu
This post is by Marcus Lu from Visual Capitalist

The Briefing
Gallup conducts an annual poll to gauge the U.S. public’s trust in the Federal Reserve
After rising during the COVID-19 pandemic, public trust has fallen to a 20-year low

Charted: Public Trust in the Federal Reserve
Each year, Gallup conducts a survey of American adults on various economic topics, including the country’s central bank, the Federal Reserve.
More specifically, respondents are asked how much confidence they have in the current Fed chairman to do or recommend the right thing for the U.S. economy. We’ve visualized these results from 2001 to 2023 to see how confidence levels have changed over time.
Methodology and Results
The data used in this infographic is also listed in the table below. Percentages reflect the share of respondents that have either a “great deal” or “fair amount” of confidence.
Year Fed chair % Great deal or Fair amount
2023 Jerome Powell 36%
2022 Jerome Powell 43%
2021 Jerome Powell 55%
2020 Jerome Powell 58%
2019 Jerome Powell 50%
2018 Jerome Powell 45%
2017 Janet Yellen 45%
2016 Janet Yellen 38%
2015 Janet Yellen 42%
2014 Janet Yellen 37%
2013 Ben Bernanke 42%
2012 Ben Bernanke 39%
2011 Ben Bernanke 41%
2010 Ben Bernanke 44%
2009 Ben Bernanke 49%
2008 Ben Bernanke 47%
2007 Ben Bernanke 50%
2006 Ben Bernanke 41%
2005 Alan Greenspan 56%
2004 Alan Greenspan 61%
2003 Alan Greenspan 65%
2002 Alan Greenspan 69%
2001 Alan Greenspan 74%
Data for 2023 collected April 3-25, with this statement put to respondents: “Please (Read more...)

Year	Fed chair	% Great deal or Fair amount
2023	Jerome Powell	36%
2022	Jerome Powell	43%
2021	Jerome Powell	55%
2020	Jerome Powell	58%
2019	Jerome Powell	50%
2018	Jerome Powell	45%
2017	Janet Yellen	45%
2016	Janet Yellen	38%
2015	Janet Yellen	42%
2014	Janet Yellen	37%
2013	Ben Bernanke	42%
2012	Ben Bernanke	39%
2011	Ben Bernanke	41%
2010	Ben Bernanke	44%
2009	Ben Bernanke	49%
2008	Ben Bernanke	47%
2007	Ben Bernanke	50%
2006	Ben Bernanke	41%
2005	Alan Greenspan	56%
2004	Alan Greenspan	61%
2003	Alan Greenspan	65%
2002	Alan Greenspan	69%
2001	Alan Greenspan	74%

Mapped: All of the World’s Roads, by Continent

May 18, 2023 by Pallavi Rao
This post is by Pallavi Rao from Visual Capitalist

Click to view this graphic in a higher-resolution.

Mapped: All of the World’s Roads, by Continent
Once upon a time, it was said that all roads led to Rome. Now with at least 21 million kilometers of roads spanning the globe, every continent and country has its own web of crisscrossing connections, from major highways to rural drives.
And there’s no better way to see the scale and spread of roads than by visualizing them. Adam Symington from PythonMaps used data from the Global Roads Inventory Project (GRIP) to map all the roads in the world, creating an accurate representation of humanity’s need to connect.
Creating the Global Road Map
The GRIP database pulled information from a variety of sources including governments, research institutes, NGOs, and crowd-sourcing initiatives to create a harmonized dataset of geospatial road information for a 2018 paper, “Global patterns of current and future road infrastructure.”
Researchers categorized roads into types using a UN classification system, which have been visualized in three colors on this map:
Category Definition Color
Main Roads Highways + primary roads between and within cities and towns. Multi-lane, limited entry and exit points. White
Secondary Roads Paved, high-traffic, access between neighborhoods Yellow
Tertiary Roads Paved or unpaved residential access within neighborhoods, or rural points of interest. Red
Local Roads All other smaller roads that don't fit above, and usually are not throughfare. Red
This classification allowed for examining relationships between road infrastructure, development, wealth, and population distribution.
Which Country has the Largest (Read more...)

Category	Definition	Color
*Main Roads*	Highways + primary roads between and within cities and towns. Multi-lane, limited entry and exit points.	White
*Secondary Roads*	Paved, high-traffic, access between neighborhoods	Yellow
*Tertiary Roads*	Paved or unpaved residential access within neighborhoods, or rural points of interest.	Red
*Local Roads*	All other smaller roads that don't fit above, and usually are not throughfare.	Red

Visualizing Global Attitudes Towards AI

May 9, 2023 by Marcus Lu
This post is by Marcus Lu from Visual Capitalist

Comparing Public Sentiment Towards AI, by Country
Artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the fastest growing and most disruptive technologies in the world today. Because it has the potential to drastically impact society, it’s important to measure how people are feeling towards it.
This infographic visualizes survey data from market research firm, Ipsos, to see how attitudes towards AI varies by country. By including each country’s GDP per capita, we can see that wealthier populations are more skeptical about products and services that use the technology.
Data and Methodology
This data is based on a 28-country survey of 19,504 adults aged 18 to 74. Polling took place between November and December 2021, and the results were published in January 2022.
This survey took place before the recent explosion in popularity of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, DALL-E, and Midjourney, but forms the foundation for how people view this rapidly improving technology.
The table below lists the percentage of respondents who agreed with the following statement:
“Products and services using artificial intelligence have more benefits than drawbacks”
Country % Agreeing With Statement GDP per capita
China 78% $12,556
Saudi Arabia 76% $23,186
India 71% $2,257
Peru 70% $6,622
Malaysia 65% $11,109
Mexico 65% $10,046
Colombia 64% $6,104
Chile 63% $16,265
South Korea 62% $34,998
Türkiye 60% $9,661
Brazil 57% $7,507
South Africa 57% $7,055
Argentina 55% $10,636
Russia 53% $12,195
Spain 53% $30,104
Italy 50% $35,658
Hungary 49% $18,728
Poland 48% $18,000
Japan 42% $39,313
Sweden 40% $61,029
Belgium (Read more...)

Country	% Agreeing With Statement	GDP per capita
China	78%	$12,556
Saudi Arabia	76%	$23,186
India	71%	$2,257
Peru	70%	$6,622
Malaysia	65%	$11,109
Mexico	65%	$10,046
Colombia	64%	$6,104
Chile	63%	$16,265
South Korea	62%	$34,998
Türkiye	60%	$9,661
Brazil	57%	$7,507
South Africa	57%	$7,055
Argentina	55%	$10,636
Russia	53%	$12,195
Spain	53%	$30,104
Italy	50%	$35,658
Hungary	49%	$18,728
Poland	48%	$18,000
Japan	42%	$39,313
Sweden	40%	$61,029
Belgium	(Read more...)

Charting and Mapping China’s Exports Since 2001

May 2, 2023 by Pallavi Rao
This post is by Pallavi Rao from Visual Capitalist

Charting and Mapping China’s Exports Since 2001
Between the dawn of the Roman Empire and the first factory built in the Industrial Revolution, China was one of the most powerful economies on the planet, with a gross domestic product that made up roughly 30% of the global economy.
By the 1970s, the country’s economy had regressed to a shadow of its historic self, with a per-capita income equal to one-third of sub-Saharan Africa. But over the next four decades, China’s rapid industrial transformation made it the manufacturing powerhouse of the world, and exports rapidly ballooned.
Which markets are receiving all of these exports? This graphic from Ehsan Soltani uses data from the World Trade Organization and the customs office of China to track the biggest destinations of China’s merchandise exports—defined as goods that leave the territory of a country—since the 2000s.
China’s Top Export Markets from 2001‒2022
In 2001, when China joined the World Trade Organization, the value of its merchandise exports stood at $266 billion. Over the next seven years, the country’s exports grew uninterrupted until the 2008 financial crisis caused a sharp decline in global trade.
This cycle would repeat again with consecutive growth until 2015 (another global trade slowdown), followed by slowed growth until 2020 (the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic).
But merchandise exports skyrocketed by 30% in 2021, and by the end of 2022 had grown to an estimated $3.6 trillion per year. That means China’s exports alone are bigger than the entire economies of (Read more...)

Ranked: The Best U.S. States for Retirement

May 1, 2023 by Marcus Lu
This post is by Marcus Lu from Visual Capitalist

Ranked: The Best U.S. States for Retirement
What is the most important aspect of retirement planning?
If you said finances, you’re probably right. But have you ever thought about where the best place is to retire? Being strategic about location can make a big impact on your quality of life, and perhaps help your savings go just a bit further.
To help break it down, we’ve visualized data from personal finance platform, WalletHub, which ranked the best U.S. states for retirement as of 2023.
Data and Methodology
WalletHub ranked each state using 47 metrics across three dimensions.
Affordability (7 metrics worth 40 points)
Quality of Life (22 metrics worth 30 points)
Health Care (18 metrics worth 30 points)
Here are some examples of what each dimension measures:
Affordability: Cost of living and taxation
Quality of Life: Quality of elder-abuse protections and crime rates
Health Care: Number of health professionals per capita and life expectancy
Visit the source for the full list of metrics.
The final scores (visualized as the bars in the infographic above) represent each state’s weighted average across all metrics. See below for more comprehensive results.
Rank State Score Affordability
(rank) Quality of Life
(rank) Health Care
(rank)
1 Virginia 57.6 16 11 11
2T Florida 57.4 9 4 28
2T Colorado 57.4 14 27 5
4 Wyoming 55.6 5 9 38
5 Delaware 55.5 6 33 18
6 New Hampshire 55.0 31 5 7
7 South Dakota 53.6 25 30 9
8 Minnesota 53.5 40 2 (Read more...)

Recent Posts

Most Used Categories

Venture Capital

Category: US

Ranked: America’s Largest Semiconductor Companies

Ranking America’s Largest Semiconductor Companies

Data and Highlights

Ranked: America’s Largest Semiconductor Companies

Ranking America’s Largest Semiconductor Companies

Data and Highlights

Interactive: Comparing Military Spend Around the World

Comparing Military Spend Around the World

Countries’ Military Spend as a Percentage of their Economy

Charted: The World’s Aging Population from 1950 to 2100

Charted: The World’s Aging Population from 1950 to 2100

The World’s Aging Population from 1950 to 2100

Charted: Public Trust in the Federal Reserve

The Briefing

Charted: Public Trust in the Federal Reserve

Methodology and Results

Mapped: All of the World’s Roads, by Continent

Mapped: All of the World’s Roads, by Continent

Creating the Global Road Map

Which Country has the Largest (Read more...)

Visualizing Global Attitudes Towards AI

Comparing Public Sentiment Towards AI, by Country

Data and Methodology

Charting and Mapping China’s Exports Since 2001

Charting and Mapping China’s Exports Since 2001

China’s Top Export Markets from 2001‒2022

Ranked: The Best U.S. States for Retirement

Ranked: The Best U.S. States for Retirement

Data and Methodology

Ranked: The Best U.S. States for Retirement

Ranked: The Best U.S. States for Retirement

Data and Methodology