• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises

2

Despite having a $165 million net worth, Scarlett Johansson says work-life balance doesn’t exist—and the first step to success is admitting that

3

Nearly 50,000 Lake Tahoe residents have to find a new power source after their energy source looks to redirect lines to data centers

1

The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises

2

Despite having a $165 million net worth, Scarlett Johansson says work-life balance doesn’t exist—and the first step to success is admitting that

3

Nearly 50,000 Lake Tahoe residents have to find a new power source after their energy source looks to redirect lines to data centers
TechA Boom With A View

Snapchat Has a Powerful New Ally in Its Battle Against Facebook

By
Erin Griffith
Erin Griffith
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Erin Griffith
Erin Griffith
Down Arrow Button Icon
November 7, 2016, 11:11 AM ET
Vanity Fair New Establishment Summit - Day 1
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - OCTOBER 08: Bloomberg LP Founder Michael Bloomberg and Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel speak onstage during "Disrupting Information and Communication" at the Vanity Fair New Establishment Summit at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts on October 8, 2014 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Vanity Fair)Photograph by Michael Kovac — Getty Images for Vanity Fair

This article first appeared in Term Sheet, Fortune’s newsletter about deals and dealmakers. Sign up here.

When Google reorganized itself as Alphabet (GOOG) last year, it immediately struck the “Google” brand from a number of its divisions. Google X, its “moonshot” division, became simply “X,” and Google Ventures, its VC arm, became GV. But its lesser-known growth-stage investment arm, Google Capital, took its time rebranding. On Friday afternoon, Google Capital finally revealed its new name. Sadly for my ego, they did not choose G-Cap, Fortune’s suggestion from my 2015 profile of the firm. Instead they went with the title of a Nine Inch Nails song: CapitalG.

More important than the new name are the two new investments CapitalG revealed Friday: The firm has backed both Snap Inc., the parent of Snapchat, and Airbnb. A company representative confirmed the deals but would not elaborate on the size of its investment or when they happened. We can probably assume CapitalG participated in Airbnb’s massive September funding round, which values it at $30 billion, and Snap’s $1.8 billion funding round from this Spring, which values the company at $20 billion.

With its $300 million fund, CapitalG’s selling point to startups is all about “value-add.” In other words, we’re not just writing checks, we’re contributing to your company’s success. The firm uses its access to 40,000 Alphabet employees, who are experts on topics as varied as security IT and search-based marketing, to help growth-stage startups solve their thorniest problems.

This kind of thing is more common at early-stage venture firms, which offer increasingly elaborate suites of services for startups, from PR and recruiting to “design sprints” and human resources. It’s their way of competing against the flood of new money coming from basically every direction to invest in startups. But it’s less common in the late stage, where passive investors like hedge funds and mutual funds tend to write checks and then wait for the IPO.

With that in mind, it’s very interesting to imagine the kinds of services and advice a startup like Snap, which makes money selling digital advertising, might glean from Google, the largest digital advertising company in the world. Snap and Google share a common competitor in Facebook (FB).

Beyond that, Snap recently announced its first hardware product, Spectacles. They’re sunglasses with a camera that automatically uploads the videos it takes to your Snapchat account. The world reacted to the news with intrigue and excitement. Less excited, I assume, were the people who worked on Spectacles’ widely ridiculed predecessor, Google Glass. Somehow Google couldn’t make face-cameras cool. Snap may actually pull it off. Together, they make an interesting alliance.

Of course, any knowledge sharing requires Evan Spiegel, Snap’s notoriously secretive CEO who reportedly discourages collaboration among the company’s highly federated organization, to actually open up to Alphabet. But even if CapitalG winds up as passive money in this deal, it stands to earn a solid return in just a few months, based on reports of Snap’s upcoming IPO.

About the Author
By Erin Griffith
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive officer of Meta Platforms Inc., left, and US President Donald Trump during a dinner with tech leaders in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025. US President Donald Trump said he would be imposing tariffs on semiconductor imports "very shortly" but spare goods from companies like Apple Inc. that have pledged to boost their US investments. Photographer: Will Oliver/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Big TechDonald Trump
How Trump’s ‘unusual’ brokerage account traded around his own market-moving decisions—selling hyperscalers and buying energy stocks during the war
By Eva RoytburgMay 15, 2026
1 hour ago
Berkshire triples Alphabet stake and buys Delta stock while dumping Amazon in Greg Abel’s first quarter as CEO
InvestingBerkshire Hathaway
Berkshire triples Alphabet stake and buys Delta stock while dumping Amazon in Greg Abel’s first quarter as CEO
By Josh Funk and The Associated PressMay 15, 2026
2 hours ago
SpaceX said to plan public IPO filing as soon as Wednesday
Big TechIPOs
SpaceX said to plan public IPO filing as soon as Wednesday
By Anthony Hughes, Bailey Lipschultz and BloombergMay 15, 2026
2 hours ago
America’s productivity boom started before AI, and a Stanford economist who decoded the Great Resignation says working from home is the reason why
Future of Workremote work
America’s productivity boom started before AI, and a Stanford economist who decoded the Great Resignation says working from home is the reason why
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezMay 15, 2026
5 hours ago
A man stands looking out over his front porch where a sign reads, "No data centers."
EnvironmentData centers
Startups are installing tiny data centers in people’s homes to reduce strain on the beleaguered electrical grid
By Sasha RogelbergMay 15, 2026
6 hours ago
US hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, CEO of Pershing Square Capital Management, speaks during the 29th annual Milken Institute Global Conference at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California on May 4, 2026.
InvestingMicrosoft
Bill Ackman has been quietly buying Microsoft since February, when AI fears were dragging the stock
By Eva RoytburgMay 15, 2026
10 hours ago

Most Popular

The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
Politics
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
By Jake AngeloMay 12, 2026
3 days ago
Despite having a $165 million net worth, Scarlett Johansson says work-life balance doesn’t exist—and the first step to success is admitting that
Success
Despite having a $165 million net worth, Scarlett Johansson says work-life balance doesn’t exist—and the first step to success is admitting that
By Preston ForeMay 13, 2026
2 days ago
Nearly 50,000 Lake Tahoe residents have to find a new power source after their energy source looks to redirect lines to data centers
Travel & Leisure
Nearly 50,000 Lake Tahoe residents have to find a new power source after their energy source looks to redirect lines to data centers
By Catherina GioinoMay 12, 2026
3 days ago
Current price of oil as of May 14, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of May 14, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMay 14, 2026
2 days ago
The airplane fuel shortage is a myth propagated by airlines who want to cancel unprofitable flights, says private jet CEO
Energy
The airplane fuel shortage is a myth propagated by airlines who want to cancel unprofitable flights, says private jet CEO
By Jim EdwardsMay 14, 2026
2 days ago
Top economist says $39 trillion national debt leaves government worse prepared for recession than ever
Economy
Top economist says $39 trillion national debt leaves government worse prepared for recession than ever
By Eva RoytburgMay 14, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.