Google's first investor in U.S. volume

The search continues operations diversification forced march. During the last three years, Google has been involved in 127 "deals", double the previous three years, which propels the company ahead of the advertising agency WPP and Intel founder.

Google is the largest advertising agency in the world? Yes but only more. In fact, according to figures compiled by Bloomberg, the Mountain View company has over the past three years the main "tycoon" with 127 completed transactions whether redemptions, sales or equity. Over the previous period (January 2008 to January 2011), Google ranked only 13th. Amounts invested in, Google is at the 3rd place with $ 17.6 billion invested against 19.9 billion for General Electric and especially Blackstone Group and its 62.3 billion. However, number of transactions, Google is N° 1. 

This acceleration corresponds to the period when Larry Page became CEO of the company with co-founded Sergey Brin. He decided to invest a portion of the nearly 60 billion cash available to the company to operate the vast diversification operations. Through acquisitions, equity or by the own work of the research unit Google X research lab headed by the other co-founder Sergey Brin.


The Mergers & Acquisitions group, led by Don Harrison has increased its investment by at least 50% over the past two years. The largest deals were the acquisition of manufacturer connected Nest 3.2 billion objects, the specialist in robotics Boston Dynamics, the British company specializing in IA Deepmind Technologies and many other companies involved in robotics. The Google Capital investment fund has invested more than $ 440 million in the company SurveyMonkey online questionnaires in January 2013, or $ 360 million last summer in the company of VTC Uber Technologies.

Do not forget either redeem Waze nose beard Facebook for $ 1 billion. Besides Google Capital entity dedicated to big business, the entity Google Ventures operates more like a traditional Venture Capitalist. Google is now the pot of $ 300 million annually and 75 investments and 10 exits were made in 2013. The group employs more than 50 people.

Apple prefers to remunerate its shareholders

This strategy also involves redemptions followed with sales as acquired Motorola Mobility for $ 12.4 billion and sold in part (patents remain at Google) Lenovo 2.9 billion. The activity of the Set-top boxes from Motorola was also sold 2.2 billion last year and still owned patent portfolio is valued at $ 5.5 billion. The case is not so bad as It has been expected.

The fundamental difference in strategy with its great rival, only U.S. company to have a larger market capitalization and with more cash, namely Apple. While Google was involved in 127 different cases in three years, Apple has had 12 and seems more willing to use his money to pay shareholders and repurchase shares. This strategy it is validated by Wall Street? It seems that not because Google's share price rose 97% during the three-year period against 48% for Apple. Under these conditions, one comes to wonder why Google is not the first U.S. market capitalization?