Foundation (1996)

Lexar was founded in California in 1996, focusing on the development of flash memory technologies during a period of rapid expansion in digital photography. The company quickly established a reputation for producing high-speed memory cards and USB flash drives that catered to both professional photographers and general consumers.2

Innovation Era (2000–2010)

Throughout the early 2000s, Lexar introduced several products that helped define professional digital storage standards. Key milestones during this period included the release of one of the first high-speed CompactFlash cards, early USB flash drives under the JumpDrive brand, and the Professional Workflow card reader ecosystem. The company also developed high-capacity SD and CompactFlash cards for DSLR cameras and advanced UDMA CompactFlash technology. Consequently, Lexar became one of the most trusted brands among users of Canon, Nikon, and Sony cameras.1

Acquisition by Micron

Lexar was subsequently acquired by Micron Technology, one of the world’s largest memory manufacturers. Under Micron’s ownership, the company expanded its consumer and professional storage portfolio whilst continuing to innovate in flash memory technology.1

Acquisition by Longsys (2017)

In 2017, Shenzhen Longsys Electronics acquired the Lexar brand and established new operations to sustain worldwide sales and support. Since this acquisition, Lexar has significantly broadened its product lineup to include PCIe NVMe SSDs, DDR4 and DDR5 memory, gaming storage, portable SSDs, CFexpress cards, and enterprise and embedded storage solutions. Despite the change in ownership, the Lexar brand has remained active globally.2

Memory Cards

Lexar manufactures a comprehensive range of memory cards, including SDHC, SDXC, microSD, CompactFlash, CFast, CFexpress Type A, and CFexpress Type B formats. These products are widely utilised in DSLR cameras, mirrorless cameras, action cameras, drones, smartphones, and gaming consoles.

Solid-State Drives (SSD)

The brand offers SSDs in multiple form factors, comprising SATA SSDs, M.2 NVMe PCIe Gen3, PCIe Gen4, PCIe Gen5, and external portable SSDs. Popular SSD series include the NM620, NM710, NM790, NM1090, and the SL500 Portable SSD.

DRAM Memory

Lexar produces desktop and laptop memory modules, including DDR4, DDR5, gaming RGB memory, and SO-DIMM laptop memory.

USB Flash Drives

The USB lineup features the JumpDrive series, alongside USB-A, USB-C, dual-interface drives, and high-speed USB 3.2 flash drives.

Card Readers

Lexar offers card readers supporting SD, microSD, CFexpress, and CompactFlash formats, as well as multi-card professional workflow systems.

Over its history, Lexar has introduced numerous technologies, such as high-speed UHS-II SD cards, PCIe Gen5 SSDs, Professional Workflow modular readers, CFexpress memory solutions, high-endurance gaming storage, and advanced thermal designs for SSD cooling. The company also operates Lexar Quality Labs, where products undergo testing across more than 1,100 devices to ensure compatibility and reliability.2

• 1996 — Founded in California.
• 2012 — Introduced the industry’s first 256 GB CompactFlash card and SDXC UHS-I card.
• 2013 — Released the first Professional Workflow system.
• 2014 — Introduced some of the world’s fastest SD UHS-II cards.
• 2017 — Acquired by Longsys.
• 2020 — Expanded into DDR4 memory and CFexpress cards.
• 2021 — Launched dedicated gaming storage products.
• 2022–2023 — Ranked among the top global channel SSD module brands by TrendForce.
• 2025 — Introduced a 1 TB microSD Express card and expanded premium storage offerings.2

Lexar products are distributed through a worldwide network covering North America, Europe, Asia, Oceania, South America, and Africa. According to the company, its distribution reaches more than 70 countries through over 100,000 sales channels.2

Lexar products are designed for a diverse user base, including professional photographers, videographers, content creators, PC gamers, students, business users, mobile device users, and IT professionals.

Lexar has long been recognised for reliable flash memory products, particularly memory cards used in digital cameras. Since becoming part of Longsys, the brand has broadened its portfolio to encompass consumer SSDs, DRAM, and gaming hardware whilst maintaining a focus on performance and value. Independent reviews generally place many of its higher-end SSDs and memory cards among competitive options in their respective price segments, although performance and endurance vary by product line.3

• NM Series — Internal NVMe SSDs
• NS Series — SATA SSDs
• ARES Series — Gaming DRAM
• THOR Series — Performance memory
• SL Series — Portable SSDs
• ARMOR Series — Rugged memory cards
• JumpDrive — USB flash drives
• Professional — High-end creator storage

Lexar states that its products have received recognition from organisations and events such as the iF Design Award, Red Dot Design Award, CES Innovation Awards, and DGP Awards. The company also participates in industry organisations including the CompactFlash Association and the SD Association.2

Lexar emphasises three core values: professionalism, innovation, and service. Its stated mission is to deliver high-performance, reliable storage solutions for consumers, creators, and professionals whilst adapting to evolving technologies such as AI-enabled computing.2

1. Lexar
2. Live For The Memory | Lexar Global
3. 30 years of Lexar: What a look inside its R&D labs and factory reveals about its plans for an AI-ready future