3 Major Companies You Might Not Realize Are Owned By Google

Unless you've been living under a rock, you're well aware by now how massive a company Google is. It's the most used search engine across the globe, and in the US alone, 60% of search queries are done with Google, according to Statista. Google is also many people's top choice as an email service, productivity tool, and even entertainment — think YouTube and Google TV.

But what you might not realize is that this tech giant is actually a lot larger. While Google killed multiple products in 2024, it still owns plenty of other companies, particularly through its holding company, Alphabet Inc. Alphabet manages the companies outside of Google's usual scope of products and services. This allows the company to venture into other industries, such as biotech research, finance, drug discovery and design, and AI robotics. 

Although you probably don't recognize most of Alphabet's acquired companies, there are three major brands you might be surprised to know are actually owned by Google. 

Google is primarily known for its software products: Android, Chrome, and Google Workspace, to name a few. But in recent years, it has penetrated the hardware market with all sorts of devices, too. There are the Pixel phones, Google Home smart speakers, and even Chromebook laptops. One hardware product you might not realize is owned by Google, though, is Fitbit.

Founded in 2007 by James Park and Eric Friedman, Fitbit is designed to be a wearable product to improve your health and lifestyle in general. Fitbit models work through their multiple built-in sensors that track your body 24/7. Your Fitbit can tell you how much stress or excitement you've experienced for the day, whether your heart rate is low, and what health metrics like breathing rate and skin temperature might be affecting your well-being. On top of keeping an eye on changes in your body, Fitbits are great companions for plenty of lifestyle activities too. You can use it to help you time your workouts, play music, and even pay for your order at a restaurant.

Google acquired Fitbit in 2021, and since then, it has become part of the tech giant's lineup of smart wearable devices, along with the Google Pixel Watches.

Driving your car yourself has become overrated, at least for Google. That's why it came up with Waymo. Originally a self-driving car project of Google's back in the late 2000s, Waymo has been a full-blown firm under the management of Google's parent company, Alphabet, since 2016.

Today, the brand is primarily focused on developing its proprietary autonomous driving technology, with the goal of reducing the number of accidents on the road. It does so with its public autonomous ride-hailing service, called Waymo One, the first of its kind across the world. Waymo One is available 24/7 in select cities, including San Francisco, Phoenix, Los Angeles, and Austin, with Atlanta and Miami getting coverage soon. How Waymo One works is similar to your typical human-driven ride-hailing service: just download the app and book a ride. A Jaguar I-PACE car will then pick you up in a couple of minutes — no driver required. 

Although it looks like magic, Waymo is powered by the seamless integration of software and hardware parts that are centered on safety. It's made up of cameras, lidar, and radar sensors and is reliant on its custom, detailed maps and artificial intelligence that provides real-time data and control. These parts help detect what a human eye can: pedestrians, cyclists, traffic lights, and even traffic signs.

Waymo has already covered more than 20 million miles on public roads in over 15 states. Pair this with over 20 billion miles on simulated roads, and you have an experienced driver who knows exactly how to keep you safe until you reach your destination.  

Driver or not, you're most likely familiar with Google's very own navigation tool, Google Maps. Everybody relies on it to get to their destinations, and it's become so popular that it has reached over ten billion downloads on the Play Store. Even on Apple devices, Google Maps is dubbed as the #1 app in the Navigation category, earning 4.7 stars with 6.7 million ratings. 

With Google Maps being most people's go-to for directions, you might not realize that Google actually owns another navigation app: Waze. Yes, the app that shows you live traffic information using fun and cute icons and avatars is part of the bigger Google group. As a navigation tool, Waze has some similar functionalities to Google Maps. Between Waze and Google Maps, you can check your estimated arrival time, get real-time traffic data in case you need to reroute, and use voice navigation. 

However, Waze also features various new capabilities. Thanks to its community-driven approach, it's more efficient in informing you about things like crashes, speed cameras, and toll pricing. You can use Waze to see where police locations are as well. What makes Waze more fun is its gamification and social aspect. Whenever you use Waze to drive, send a report on the app, or edit the map, you'll receive corresponding points. You and your friends can even follow each other's drives in real time through the app's shareable ETA updates.  

Waze has been with Google since 2013, after the search giant bought out the company.