ASML Holding vs IBM

About

ASML Holding was founded in 1984 as a joint venture between Philips and ASM International in Veldhoven, Netherlands, and has since become one of the most strategically important companies in the global technology supply chain. ASML holds a complete monopoly on extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines — the equipment required to manufacture the most advanced semiconductors at 7nm and below. No other company in the world produces EUV machines, making ASML an irreplaceable chokepoint in the production of chips that power AI, mobile devices, and data centers.\n\nASML's product portfolio centers on its EUV and deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithography systems, which use light to etch circuit patterns onto silicon wafers with nanometer precision. The company sells machines to every major chip foundry in the world — TSMC, Samsung, Intel, and SK Hynix — and its latest High-NA EUV systems enable the manufacturing of chips at angstrom-scale dimensions. Each EUV machine contains over 100,000 parts, takes years to build, and costs in excess of $200M, reflecting the engineering complexity that creates ASML's durable competitive moat.\n\nASML reported EUR 28.3B in revenue for full-year 2024 and employs over 43,000 people globally. With a market capitalization of approximately $350B, ASML ranks among the largest technology companies in Europe. Its monopoly position has drawn geopolitical attention — the Netherlands, under US pressure, has restricted ASML's ability to export advanced EUV machines to China — underscoring how central ASML's technology has become to global semiconductor competition and national security strategy.