Nvidia's biggest conference of the year, GTC 2025, is set to begin on Monday in San Jose, with CEO Jensen Huang scheduled to deliver a keynote address on Tuesday. The event promises to be a pivotal moment for the company, as it looks to regain momentum amidst industry challenges and growing competition.

Huang's keynote address, taking place at the SAP Center, will focus on AI and accelerating computing technologies, with Nvidia teasing reveals related to robotics, sovereign AI, AI agents, and automotive. The conference will feature over 1,000 sessions with 2,000 speakers and close to 400 exhibitors, making it a significant platform for the company to showcase its latest innovations.

One of the most anticipated announcements is the unveiling of a new, upgraded iteration of Nvidia's Blackwell chip lineup, codenamed Blackwell Ultra. During the company's recent earnings call, Huang confirmed that the Blackwell B300 series is slated for release in the second half of this year, boasting higher computing performance and increased memory capacity (288GB). This upgrade is expected to be a significant draw for customers looking to run and train memory-hungry AI models.

Rubin, Nvidia's next-gen GPU series, is also expected to get a mention at GTC alongside Blackwell Ultra. Due out in 2026, Rubin promises to deliver a significant leap in computing power, with Huang describing it as a "big, big, huge step up" in computing power. The CEO has also hinted that he will discuss post-Rubin products at GTC, potentially including Rubin Ultra GPUs or the GPU architecture that will succeed the Rubin family.

Beyond GPUs, Nvidia is expected to shed light on its approach to recent quantum computing advancements. The company has scheduled a "quantum day" for GTC, featuring executives from prominent companies in the space, aimed at mapping the path toward useful quantum applications.

The GTC 2025 conference comes at a critical time for Nvidia, which has faced challenges in recent months. Early Blackwell cards reportedly suffered from severe overheating issues, causing customers to cut their orders. Additionally, U.S. export controls and fears of tariffs have depressed Nvidia's stock price. The success of Chinese AI lab DeepSeek, which developed efficient models competitive with those from leading AI labs, has also prompted investors to worry about the demand for powerful GPUs like Blackwell.

Despite these challenges, Nvidia remains a dominant force in the industry, with a record-breaking quarter in February, notching $39.3 billion in revenue and projecting $43 billion in revenue for the subsequent quarter. The company still commands an estimated 82% of the GPU market, although rivals such as AMD have begun to encroach on its territory.

As the conference gets underway, all eyes will be on Nvidia to see how it responds to the challenges and opportunities in the AI and computing landscape. With its strong track record of innovation and leadership, the company is well-positioned to drive the industry forward and maintain its position at the forefront of AI and computing advancements.

For those interested in following the conference, Nvidia will be live-streaming the keynote address and many other sessions, talks, and panels. Stay tuned for TechCrunch's on-the-ground coverage of GTC 2025, as we bring you the latest news and insights from the event.