Smart Global Holdings

About Smart Global Holdings

In 1988, amid a global shortage of computer memory, Ajay Shah and Mukesh Patel founded SMART Modular Technologies. Shah, then a product manager at Samsung, saw an opportunity to manufacture specialty memory modules for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). The company began operations in 1989 and quickly found its first major customer in Apple Computer, becoming profitable within just two months. The company’s journey involved several major shifts in ownership. After going public in 1995, SMART was acquired by Solectron in 1999. In a significant turn of events, a group including the original founders bought the company back from Solectron in 2004. This led to a second IPO in 2006. A new chapter began in 2017 when the parent company, SMART Global Holdings (SGH), launched another initial public offering on the NASDAQ, raising approximately $61.1 million. This move set the stage for a period of strategic growth and diversification. Under the SGH brand, the company has expanded its portfolio beyond memory to include high-performance computing and LED solutions, notably through the acquisitions of Penguin Computing and Cree LED. Today, SGH operates as a family of businesses, each a specialist in its domain, from memory and storage to advanced computing and lighting technologies.