Google

Google was founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin while they were Ph.D. students at Stanford University. The company was established in a garage in Menlo Park, California. Initially, their search engine project was called "Backrub" because it checked backlinks to determine site importance. They later renamed it Google, derived from "googol," the mathematical term for a 1 followed by 100 zeros, symbolizing their mission to organize the vast amount of information online.

Google held its Initial Public Offering on August 19, 2004, priced at $85 per share. The IPO raised $1.67 billion, making the company's market capitalization over $23 billion. Google's IPO was notable for its unique auction-based method designed to give average investors a fair shot at buying shares. The move established them as a major player in the business world, setting the stage for further innovation and growth in the field of technology.

Google Maps was launched in 2005, revolutionizing the way people accessed maps and geographical information. It provides turn-by-turn navigation, street imagery, real-time traffic conditions, and route planning. Google Maps quickly became the dominant digital navigation service and one of Google's key products, influencing both the everyday user who needed to find local services and businesses aiming to attract new customers via accurate online mapping.

On October 9, 2006, Google announced that it had acquired YouTube for $1.65 billion in stock. This strategic move allowed Google to expand its reach into social media and video-sharing markets, complementing its existing dominance in web search and advertising. YouTube has since grown to become the leading platform for video content, allowing creators to reach global audiences and generating significant advertising revenue for Google.

Google released the Android operating system on September 23, 2008, marking its entry into the mobile operating system market. Android, based on the Linux kernel, was designed to be open source and customizable by manufacturers. This flexibility allowed it to rapidly gain adoption across a wide range of devices, ultimately becoming the most widely used mobile operating system in the world, with significant influence over the smartphone industry.

On October 2, 2015, Google completed a major corporate restructuring, resulting in the formation of a new parent company, Alphabet Inc. This reorganization separated Google's main web and advertising businesses from its other ventures, such as Calico, Nest, and X, its moonshot division. By creating Alphabet, Google intended to streamline operations and allow its subsidiaries to operate more independently while providing greater transparency to investors.

Google launched its Pixel smartphone on October 4, 2016, branding it as the 'phone by Google'. The Pixel line was designed to offer a premium Android experience, with a focus on integrated Google services and hardware-software synergy. Google aimed to compete directly with flagship devices from manufacturers like Apple and Samsung, showcasing Google's innovation in software integration, camera technology, and artificial intelligence in consumer devices.

In March 2018, Google published its AI principles, pledging to develop artificial intelligence in an ethical manner. The guidelines emphasize the importance of being socially beneficial, avoiding artificial intelligence applications that cause harm or facilitate bias, and ensuring accountability. These principles were partially in response to public criticism and employee protests over Google's involvement in Project Maven, a military contract to enhance drone footage analysis using AI.

On September 3, 2019, Google launched Stadia, a cloud gaming service that allows users to stream video games directly to compatible devices without the need for a gaming console or high-powered computer. Stadia marked Google's entry into the gaming industry and is part of its strategy to leverage cloud computing technology. Despite initial enthusiasm, the service faced criticism for its limited game library and requirements for high-speed internet connections to deliver a seamless experience.

On January 29, 2020, Alphabet Inc., Google's parent company, achieved a trillion-dollar market capitalization, joining the exclusive club of U.S. companies such as Apple and Microsoft that had reached this milestone. This valuation highlighted the strength of Google's core advertising business and the potential of its ventures in cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and hardware to drive future growth. The milestone underscored the significant role Alphabet plays in the global technology landscape.