Intel looked like a fallen giant. Now it's posting its fastest revenue growth in 15 years.

Intel looked like a fallen giant. Now it's posting its fastest revenue growth in 15 years. Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan Bloomberg/Getty Images Not long ago, Intel looked like a fallen giant. Now, the chipmaker has posted its "strongest revenue growth in more than fifteen years," CEO Lip-Bu Tan said Thursday.The company's second-quarter results sent shares up more than 11% in after-hours trading.The company reported revenue of $16.1 billion, up 25% from a year earlier. It also reported adjusted earnings of $0.42 per share, nearly double Wall Street's expectations.The company's data center and AI (DCAI) business — an area where it has struggled to keep pace with category leader Nvidia — grew 59% year over year to $6.3 billion.The results come days after Intel said it was planning layoffs in its data center group as part of an efficiency push.The results suggest Intel is gaining traction after missing much of the early AI boom. In recent years, it has also been beset by manufacturing delays and lost its spot in the Dow Jones Industrial Average. In 2025, the US government took a 9.9% stake in the chip company. Today, the company is betting big on its foundry business, which manufactures chips for third-party customers. The strategy helps Intel diversify beyond designing its own chips and brings it closer into competition with manufacturing leader TSMC.That said, Emarketer senior analyst Jacob Bourne called the foundry business "a work in progress," noting it "lost $2.1 billion and has yet to land the major customers Intel's strategy depends on."Tan attributed the company's improving performance to better execution — namely, "greater speed, accountability, and customer focus." Read next Geoff Weiss is a senior reporter on Business Insider’s tech team, where he writes about AI startups and Y Combinator, the intersection of AI and the media industry, and workplace dynamics within top AI labs and chip companies.Previously, Geoff was on the media desk, covering YouTube and Netflix, and themes like the intersection of Hollywood and the creator economy. His work on Netflix’s video podcasting ambitions and Mr Beast’s lessons for Hollywood won second and first prize, respectively, at the 2025 LA Press Club Awards.Prior to joining Business Insider, Geoff was the senior editor of Tubefilter and a staff writer at Entrepreneur. He graduated from New York University with a degree in English Literature.He can be reached at gweiss@businessinsider.com, on Signal @geoffweiss.25, and on LinkedIn. Have a tip? Use a personal email address and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely.Selected stories:Nvidia crushed its quarter — and CEO Jensen Huang said in a leaked all-hands that 'the market did not appreciate it'Nvidia will foot the bill for Trump's new visa fees. Here's what CEO Jensen Huang told staff.Massive AI salaries and RTO are fueling a real estate boom in San Francisco: 'It's going to rain money'The AI talent wars are ricocheting across startups. Here's how they're competing with Big Tech. Intel AI Tech More Stocks