Alphabet Inc. is the parent company that owns Google.
Google’s founders created Alphabet in 2015 through a corporate reorganization. Alphabet became the publicly traded holding company, while Google became its largest subsidiary. The structure separated Google’s core internet businesses from several other ventures, including research and technology projects.
Google remains responsible for products such as Search, YouTube, Android, and Google Cloud. Alphabet’s “Other Bets” have included businesses and projects in areas such as autonomous vehicles, life sciences, and connectivity. This arrangement allows investors to buy shares in the parent company rather than directly in Google.
A common mix-up is calling the stock “Google stock.” Alphabet’s public shares use the tickers GOOGL and GOOG, while Google is the operating company most people encounter. Alphabet is therefore the relevant corporate name when discussing the group’s overall market capitalization.