Alphabet Inc
In short
Alphabet Inc. is an American technology conglomerate that acts as the parent company for Google and several other former Google subsidiaries. As of July 2026, it stands as the third largest publicly traded company in the world by market capitalisation.
In plain words
Alphabet is a massive company that owns many different businesses. Its biggest and most famous part is Google, which handles search and advertising. Other parts of the company work on experimental technology and different services.
A simple example
When you use Google Search or watch a video on YouTube, you are using services owned by Alphabet Inc.
Why it matters
It is one of the most powerful 'Big Tech' companies in existence. Because it owns so many essential digital tools, its decisions affect global internet users and the economy.
Easy to mix up
People often use the name Google to mean the whole company, but Google is actually just one part of Alphabet.