Alphabet Inc

Alphabet Inc., established in October 2015 through the restructuring of Google, functions as the parent holding company for Google and several other subsidiaries. It is headquartered in Mountain View, California, and is publicly traded on NASDAQ under the ticker symbols GOOGL and GOOG. As of April 2025, Alphabet has a market capitalisation of approximately $1.95 trillion, positioning it as the fifth most valuable company in the world.

Alphabet's operations are categorised into three primary segments. The first, Google Services, includes widely used products and platforms such as Google Search, YouTube, Android, Chrome, Google Maps, Google Play, and a range of hardware devices. In the first quarter of 2025, this segment generated $77.3 billion in revenue, representing a 10% increase compared to the previous year.
 

The second segment, Google Cloud, delivers cloud computing services to businesses and organisations globally. This area of the business saw notable growth, with Q1 2025 revenue reaching $12.3 billion, marking a 28% increase year-over-year.
 

The third segment, referred to as Other Bets, covers Alphabet’s diverse experimental ventures and advanced technologies. This includes Waymo, which focuses on autonomous vehicles; Verily, which operates in the life sciences sector; Wing, which develops drone delivery systems; and X, the company’s moonshot factory for breakthrough technologies. Despite ongoing innovation, the Other Bets segment reported an operating loss of $1.2 billion in the first quarter of 2025.


In Q1 2025, Alphabet reported revenues of $90.2 billion, a 12% increase from the previous year. Net income rose by 46% to $34.5 billion, surpassing analyst expectations. Advertising remains the primary revenue source, contributing approximately 75% of total revenue, with YouTube ad revenue increasing by 10% year-over-year.
 

Alphabet has announced a $75 billion capital expenditure plan for 2025, focusing on artificial intelligence (AI) and data centre infrastructure. In March 2025, the company agreed to acquire Wiz, a cloud security firm, for $32 billion, marking its largest acquisition to date.

The story of Alphabet's origins begins in 1995, when Larry Page and Sergey Brin first met as graduate students at Stanford University. The two quickly discovered a shared interest in computer science and began working together on a search engine that could more effectively organise and rank web pages based on their relevance.
 

The first iteration of this search engine was called Backrub, and it relied on a unique algorithm that Page and Brin had developed to analyse the relationships between web pages. As the popularity of Backrub grew, Page and Brin realised that they had the potential to create a new kind of search engine that could revolutionise the way people found information on the internet.
 

In 1997, Page and Brin officially registered the domain name Google.com and incorporated the company as Google Inc. Over the next several years, Google quickly became the dominant player in the search engine market, thanks in large part to its innovative algorithms, simple user interface, and fast, reliable performance.

By the early 2000s, Google was widely recognised as one of the most successful and influential technology companies in the world. In 2004, the company went public, raising $1.67 billion in one of the most highly anticipated IPOs of all time.

However, despite its success, Google was still primarily focused on search and advertising, and its founders recognised the need to diversify the company's offerings and explore new areas of innovation. This led to the creation of Alphabet in 2015, which was designed to be a holding company that could oversee Google and its various other subsidiaries and projects.
 

On August 10, 2015, Google Inc. announced plans to create a new public holding company, Alphabet Inc. Google CEO Larry Page made this announcement in a blog post on Google's official blog. Alphabet would be created to restructure Google by moving subsidiaries from Google to Alphabet, narrowing Google's scope. The company would consist of Google as well as other businesses, including X Development, Calico, Nest, Verily, Fiber, Makani, CapitalG, and GV. Sundar Pichai, Product Chief, became the new CEO of Google, replacing Larry Page, who transitioned to the role of running Alphabet, along with Google co-founder Sergey Brin. 
 

In his announcement, Page stated that the planned holding company would allow for "more management scale, as we can run things independently that aren't very related" to Google. He clarified that, as a result of the new holding company, Google would be "a bit slimmed down, with the companies that are pretty far afield of our main internet products contained in Alphabet instead". He further stated that the motivation behind the reorganization is to make Google "cleaner and more accountable and better" and that that he wanted to improve "the transparency and oversight of what we're doing".
 

Former executive Eric Schmidt revealed in the conference in 2017 the inspiration for this structure came from Warren Buffett and his management structure of Berkshire Hathaway a decade ago. Schmidt said it was he who encouraged Page and Brin to meet with Buffett in Omaha to see how Berkshire Hathaway was a holding company made of subsidiaries with strong CEOs who were trusted to run their businesses.
 

Before it became a subsidiary of Alphabet, Google Inc. was first structured as the owner of Alphabet. The roles were reversed after a placeholder subsidiary was created for the ownership of Alphabet, at which point the newly formed subsidiary was merged with Google. Google's stock was then converted to Alphabet's stock. Under the Delaware General Corporation Law , a holding company reorganisation such as this can be done without a vote of shareholders, as this reorganisation was. The restructuring process was completed on October 2, 2015. Alphabet retains Google Inc.'s stock price history and continues to trade under Google Inc.'s former ticker symbols "GOOG" and "GOOGL"; both classes of stock are components of major stock market indices such as the S&P 500 and NASDAQ-100.
 

On December 3, 2019, Page and Brin jointly announced that they would step down from their respective roles, remaining as employees and still holding the majority vote on the board of directors. Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Google, assumed the CEO role at Alphabet while retaining the same role at Google.
 

The firm completed a stock split in mid-2022. Following its 2022 stock split, Alphabet Inc. experienced notable developments in its corporate trajectory. In January 2023, CEO Sundar Pichai announced a significant workforce reduction, laying off approximately 12,000 employees, which constituted about 6% of the global staff. This decision was attributed to the company's rapid expansion during prior periods of substantial growth.
 

In 2024, Alphabet's autonomous driving subsidiary, Waymo, sought to broaden its operations by applying for a licence to extend its driverless services to Los Angeles, building upon its existing presence in San Francisco. Concurrently, Alphabet faced legal challenges; in August 2024, a U.S. district court ruled that the company had violated antitrust laws, marking a significant legal precedent. Alphabet has since appealed this decision.
 

December 2024 marked a technological milestone for Alphabet with the unveiling of its quantum computing chip, Willow. This chip demonstrated the capability to solve complex problems in minutes, tasks that would take classical computers an impractical amount of time, showcasing advancements in error correction and real-time processing. The announcement positively influenced Alphabet's stock performance, contributing to a 25% increase over the year.
 

In the first quarter of 2025, Alphabet reported a 12% year-over-year revenue increase, totalling $90.2 billion. Net income rose by 46% to $34.5 billion, partly due to a significant investment in SpaceX. The company also initiated a $70 billion stock repurchase programme and launched the AI model Gemini 2.5. Additionally, Alphabet surpassed 270 million paid subscriptions across platforms like YouTube and Google One. The workforce expanded by approximately 5,000 employees, reaching a total of 185,719.

In March 2025, Alphabet announced its largest acquisition to date, agreeing to purchase cybersecurity firm Wiz for $32 billion. This move aims to enhance Google Cloud's security offerings amid increasing competition in the cloud services sector.

The mission of Alphabet Inc, the parent company of Google, is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful. Alphabet's mission statement emphasises its commitment to leveraging technology and innovation to provide access to information and enhance people's lives globally. While Google operates under Alphabet, the mission statement encompasses the broader goals and initiatives of the entire organisation.
 

Alphabet's mission is centred around three key pillars:
 

Organise the world's information: Alphabet aims to organise and catalogue vast amounts of information available on the internet and beyond. Through its search engine, Google, Alphabet strives to provide users with relevant and reliable information, making it easily accessible to people worldwide.
 

Make information universally accessible: Alphabet believes in democratizing information, making it accessible to everyone, regardless of geographical location, language, or socio-economic background. The company works to bridge digital divides and create products and services that can be used by individuals across diverse communities and regions.
 

Make information useful: Alphabet focuses on delivering information that is not only accessible but also valuable and useful to users. The company aims to develop innovative technologies and products that enhance productivity, improve decision-making, and enrich people's lives by providing them with practical and actionable information.

Alphabet's vision is to create a future where technology is used to improve people's lives and make the world a better place. The company's founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, have always been committed to using technology to solve some of the world's biggest problems and to create new opportunities for people and businesses around the globe.
 

To achieve this vision, Alphabet is focused on several key areas of innovation, including artificial intelligence, cloud computing, autonomous vehicles, and more. The company believes that these technologies have the potential to transform industries, improve the quality of life for people around the world, and create new economic opportunities.
 

Alphabet is also committed to being a responsible corporate citizen and to using its resources and influence to make a positive impact on society. The company is dedicated to promoting diversity and inclusion, protecting the environment, and supporting the communities where it operates.

Ultimately, Alphabet's vision is to create a world where technology is used to make life easier, more productive, and more enjoyable for everyone. By developing innovative solutions to some of the world's biggest challenges, the company hopes to inspire others to use technology for good and to create a better future for generations to come.

Alphabet was ranked 17th on the Fortune Global 500 list in 2024, reflecting its significant revenue and international operations. In Interbrand's Best Global Brands 2024 report, Google's brand value rose by 12% to $291.3 billion, making it the fourth most valuable brand in the world.
 

In 2025, Alphabet was placed first on Fortune's list of America's Most Innovative Companies. This recognition was based on its work in research and development, particularly in areas such as artificial intelligence and cloud computing.
 

Alphabet was also included in the 2025 list of the World's Most Ethical Companies by the Ethisphere Institute. The listing acknowledged its corporate governance, transparency, and responsible business conduct.
 

Alphabet appeared in Glassdoor's Best Places to Work list for 2025. This was based on employee reviews that focused on job satisfaction and organisational culture. The Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index gave Alphabet a top score for its policies and practices supporting LGBTQ+ employees.
 

In 2024, Google's campaigns were recognised at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity for their application of AI in retail media.
 

In the same year, Google launched the Google Academic Research Awards (GARA) programme. It supported 143 researchers from 87 institutions around the world, offering funding and mentorship to help develop research in computing and technology.

Alphabet is a large conglomerate that owns and operates a number of subsidiaries and businesses across a wide range of industries. Here are some of the key products and services that Alphabet provides:

Google: The world's most popular search engine, Google provides users with access to a vast amount of information on virtually any topic. Google also offers a number of other products and services, including Gmail, Google Drive, Google Maps, and more.
 

YouTube: One of the most popular video-sharing platforms in the world, YouTube allows users to upload and share videos with others. The platform also offers a range of tools and features for creators, including analytics and monetisation options.
 

Waymo: Alphabet's autonomous vehicle division, Waymo is developing self-driving technology that has the potential to transform transportation and logistics.

Google Cloud: A suite of cloud computing services that provides businesses with access to scalable and reliable infrastructure, as well as a range of tools for data management and analysis.
 

Verily: A life sciences company that is focused on using technology to improve healthcare outcomes, Verily is developing a number of innovative solutions, including smart contact lenses that can monitor glucose levels in people with diabetes.
 

Google Fiber: A high-speed internet and TV service that provides users with ultra-fast internet access and a range of entertainment options.
 

Nest: A company that designs and manufactures smart home devices, including thermostats, security cameras, and more.
 

Google Workspace: A suite of productivity tools that includes email, calendar, document creation and collaboration, and more.
 

In addition to these products and services, Alphabet also invests in a number of other companies and projects through its venture capital arm, GV. These investments span a range of industries, including healthcare, biotech, fintech, and more.