Sandisk

SanDisk Corporation

File:SanDisk logo.svg SanDisk logo since 2024
Company type	Public
Industry	Technology, Computer storage
Founded	January 1, 1988 (1988-01-01) in Milpitas, California, United States
Founder	Eli Harari, Sanjay Mehrotra, Jack Yuan
Headquarters	Milpitas , United States
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	David Goeckeler (CEO)
Products	Flash memory devices, memory cards, USB flash drives, solid-state drives
Parent	None (independent since 2025)
Website	www.sandisk.com

Sandisk Corporation is a global American technology firm based in Milpitas, California. It specializes in the design and production of flash memory devices, including memory cards, USB flash drives, and solid-state drives. Established in 1988 under the name SunDisk by entrepreneurs Eli Harari, Sanjay Mehrotra, and Jack Yuan, the company was a pioneer in flash storage innovation, introducing the first flash-based solid-state drive in 1991. The firm adopted the SanDisk name in 1995 and subsequently launched its initial public offering. In 2016, Western Digital acquired SanDisk, but in 2025, it divested its flash storage division, reestablishing SanDisk as an independent publicly traded company.

History

SanDisk was founded in 1988 by Eli Harari, Sanjay Mehrotra, and Jack Yuan, who developed the Floating Gate EEPROM, demonstrating semiconductor data storage's potential. In 1991, the company introduced IBM’s first flash-based SSD—a 20 MB unit priced near $1,000. The following year, SanDisk released FlashDisk memory cards for laptops and handheld PCs, notable for their battery-free operation; production ceased in 2002 after reaching capacities up to 8 GB.

To prevent confusion with Sun Microsystems, SunDisk rebranded as SanDisk in November 1995 and completed its Nasdaq IPO under the ticker SNDK by offering 16 million shares at $10 apiece. In 2000, SanDisk partnered with Toshiba through a joint venture aimed at producing advanced flash memory for digital camera applications.

Expanding into consumer electronics, SanDisk entered the digital audio player sector in 2005 with the Sansa e100 series, rapidly becoming the second-largest U.S. brand after Apple. The company strengthened its enterprise and data center flash storage portfolio through key acquisitions: Matrix Semiconductor (2005), M-Systems (2006), Pliant Technology for $327 million (2011), FlashSoft (2012), Schooner Information Technology (2012), SMART Storage Systems for $307 million (2013), and Fusion-io for $1.1 billion (2014).

SanDisk received accolades for corporate responsibility, ranking third among consumer electronics firms for progress on conflict minerals in 2012. Co-founder Eli Harari was honored with the National Medal of Technology and Innovation by President Barack Obama in 2014 for his pioneering work in flash memory technology.

In January 2015, SanDisk spun off NexGen Storage from its Fusion-io acquisition; NexGen was subsequently acquired by Pivot3 in 2016. Western Digital announced its intent to purchase SanDisk for $19 billion in October 2015; the transaction closed in May 2016 at $16 billion following a reduction linked to a Chinese investor’s withdrawal.

In October 2023, Western Digital declared plans to spin off its flash storage segment as a standalone public company under the Sandisk brand, incorporating all WD-branded flash products. Preparations began in October 2024 with product listings consolidated on Sandisk’s website. In December 2024, Sandisk introduced a refreshed logo featuring pixel-inspired design elements to modernize its brand image.

The spin-off was completed on February 24, 2025, with Sandisk relisting on Nasdaq under ticker SNDK. Western Digital CEO David Goeckeler assumed leadership of Sandisk as CEO while Western Digital retained an ownership interest in the new company.

See also

• Eye-Fi
• FlashCP
• SanDisk portable media players
• SanDisk Professional
• USB flash drive security
• U3
• ULLtraDIMM