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S3 Graphics's Overview

Total employees650
HeadquartersSanta Clara
Founded1989

S3 Graphics was a prominent American manufacturer of graphics processing units (GPUs), well-known in the 1990s and early 2000s for its popular ViRGE, Trio, Savage, and later Chrome series of graphics chips. Founded in 1989, S3 was a key player in the competitive PC graphics market, offering affordable and capable solutions for both 2D and 3D acceleration. The company's core graphics division was acquired by VIA Technologies in 2001. VIA continued to develop and market graphics chips under the S3 Graphics brand, focusing on integrated and discrete solutions. In 2011, VIA announced the sale of its stake in S3 Graphics Co., Ltd. (a joint venture) to HTC, primarily for its valuable graphics patents and mobile graphics IP.

Where is S3 Graphics's Headquarters?

HQ Function

Historically, the headquarters housed executive leadership, core research and development for graphics chip design, marketing, and global operations.

Notable Features:

Typical of Silicon Valley tech campuses of its era, likely part of a larger office park with facilities geared towards engineering and administration.

Work Culture:

During its peak, S3 Graphics fostered an innovative and fast-paced work environment, driven by the competitive demands of the rapidly evolving PC graphics industry. Engineers and designers focused on delivering cutting-edge graphics performance at accessible price points.

HQ Significance:

The Santa Clara headquarters was central to S3's rise as a major graphics chip supplier, serving as the hub for the design and strategy behind iconic products like the ViRGE and Savage series.

Values Reflected in HQ: The headquarters would have reflected values of innovation in graphics technology, market responsiveness, and engineering excellence.

Location:

Historically, S3 Graphics had a significant global presence, with its chips integrated into PCs sold worldwide. Its operations were supported by R&D centers in the US, and sales and support offices in North America, Europe, and Asia (often through partnerships and distributors). Their products reached end-users globally through major OEMs and add-in-board partners.

Street Address:

2801 Mission College Boulevard (historical S3 Incorporated HQ)

City:

Santa Clara

State/Province:

California

Country:

USA

S3 Graphics's Global Presence

Austin, Texas, USA

Address: Specific street address not readily available for historical R&D center.

To leverage specialized engineering expertise in chip design and strengthen R&D capabilities outside of the main California headquarters.

Winnersh, Berkshire, United Kingdom

Address: Historical address: S3 Graphics Ltd., Winnersh Triangle, Berkshire, UK (Specific unit may vary).

To establish a strong market presence in Europe, provide regional support, and cater to the needs of European customers and partners.

Buying Intent Signals for S3 Graphics

Highperformr Signals uncover buying intent and give you clear insights to target the right accounts at the right time — helping your sales, marketing, and GTM teams close more deals, faster.

Notable news
Hiring actively
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
*Example signal, not calculated in real time

Executive Team of S3 Graphics

As of April 2025, S3 Graphics' leadership includes:

Diosdado 'Dado' Banatao - Co-Founder and former Chairman
Ronald Yara - Co-Founder
Ken Potashner - Former President and CEO
Dr. Gerry Liu - Former Chief Technical Officer / VP of Engineering

Investors of S3 Graphics

S3 Graphics has been backed by several prominent investors over the years, including:

Sierra Ventures (Early-stage VC)
Oak Investment Partners (Early-stage VC)
Publicly traded on NASDAQ (SIII) post-IPO
VIA Technologies (Acquired core graphics division in 2001)
HTC (Acquired significant IP assets from VIA/S3 Graphics JV in 2011)

Executive New Hires/Exits in the Last 12 Months

Hire0
Exits0

S3 Graphics was acquired by VIA Technologies in 2001, and its assets were later partially sold. It does not operate as an independent entity making such announcements. Therefore, no executive hires or exits specifically for 'S3 Graphics' have been reported in the last 12 months.

Technology (Tech Stack) used by S3 Graphics

Discover the tools S3 Graphics uses. Highperformr reveals the technologies powering your target accounts — helping your sales, marketing, and GTM teams prioritize smarter and close faster.

S3 Graphics Email Formats and Examples

While S3 Graphics is no longer an independent operating entity, companies of its era commonly used email formats based on employee names and initials. The domain would likely have been 's3.com' or 's3graphics.com'.

[first_initial][last]@s3graphics.com or [first].[last]@s3graphics.com

Format

jdoe@s3graphics.com

Example

0 (The original company email domains are inactive. Contact would now be through VIA Technologies or HTC for IP matters).%

Success rate

News and media

EE TimesApril 6, 2000 (Announced, closed later)

S3 Graphics Acquired by VIA Technologies

VIA Technologies announced its agreement to acquire S3 Incorporated's graphics business, a move aimed at strengthening VIA's integrated chipset offerings and expanding into the discrete graphics market....more

ReutersJuly 6, 2011

HTC to buy S3 Graphics from VIA Tech for $300 million

HTC Corp announced it would buy S3 Graphics Co Ltd from VIA Technologies Inc and WTI Investment International Ltd for $300 million, gaining access to S3's graphics technology patents, which was seen as a strategic move in the smartphone patent wars....more

Various tech publications (e.g., AnandTech, Tom's Hardware archives)Circa 1998

S3 Graphics Launches Savage3D Graphics Accelerator

S3 Graphics released its Savage3D chip, aiming to compete in the burgeoning 3D graphics market. It featured S3TC texture compression technology, which became a widely adopted standard (later licensed to Microsoft for DirectX)....more

Various tech publicationsCirca 2004

S3 Graphics (under VIA) Introduces Chrome Series GPUs

Under VIA Technologies, S3 Graphics launched the Chrome series of GPUs, targeting mainstream and value segments with DirectX 9 capable hardware and features like Chromotion video engine for enhanced media playback....more

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