CHART: Alphabet's Top 10 Biggest Acquisitions Ever

Initially funded by a mere $100,000 investment from Andy Bechtolsheim in August 1998, Google has grown to be a $2 trillion dollar tech titan with a global footprint. The journey to the top wasn't just from organic innovation, it was the product of strategic acquisitions that fuel its growth, and these acquisitions are a fascinating story in themselves.

Over 250 companies have been absorbed into the Google (or rather, Alphabet) group over the years. These weren't just vanity buys - each acquisition played a key role in expanding Google's reach and capabilities. Many of the Google owned products that we know today were born by other creative minds.

This cybersecurity startup could become Alphabet’s largest acquisition to date

The acquisition would position Google as a major player in the cybersecurity market.

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Take YouTube, for example. Acquired in 2006 for a then-whopping $1.65 billion, YouTube was just a budding platform. Google saw the potential and nurtured it into a global phenomenon, forever changing how we consume and share content online. Similarly, the map app Waze, though still a separate platform, was instrumental in making Google Maps what it is today. Even Google's smartphone OS, Android, that is widely used by billions today, was acquired in 2005.