What is the name of Google's experimental research and development lab?

The name of Google's experimental research and development lab is X Development. It is an American research organization founded by Google in January 2010 and now operates as X Development LLC, commonly doing business simply as X.

The organization focuses on ambitious “moonshot” projects: ideas intended to address major problems through radical solutions and breakthrough technology. Its early work included the self-driving car project that later became Waymo, as well as Google Glass, high-altitude internet balloons, and delivery drones.

The lab was originally called Google X, and the name was shortened to X after Google reorganized under Alphabet in 2015. In 2025, the formal name became X Development, although “X” remains the company’s public-facing name. This creates a common mix-up: X Development is not the same as Google Research, which conducts broader computer-science and artificial-intelligence research.

X is led by Astro Teller, whose title is “Captain of Moonshots.” Its unusual culture emphasizes testing difficult assumptions quickly and ending projects that cannot show a credible path to useful impact.