• Home
  • News
  • Fortune 500
  • Tech
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechGoogle

Google Reportedly Hatching Startup Incubator to Keep Employees

By
Hilary Brueck
Hilary Brueck
By
Hilary Brueck
Hilary Brueck
April 25, 2016, 10:14 AM ET
Sundar Pichai, chief executive officer of Google Inc., speaks during an event in San Francisco, California, U.S., on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2015. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg *** Local Caption *** Sundar Pichai
Sundar Pichai, chief executive officer of Google Inc., speaks during an event in San Francisco, California, U.S., on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2015. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg *** Local Caption *** Sundar PichaiPhotograph by David Paul Morris—Bloomberg via Getty Images

Google may be trying to get more of its staff to stick around with the company a little longer, hoping to keep startup ideas in-house and encourage current employees to pursue concepts with the Internet giant’s help.

The Mountain View, Calif.-based company is reportedly launching a new startup incubator called “Area 120,” where employees will be able to apply to work on their own startup ideas full-time, The Information first reported.

Employees will pitch their ideas to Google’s vice president of corporate development, Don Harrison, and vice president of streams, photos and sharing, Bradley Horowitz, who both spoke about the new plan during a recent all-hands meeting, The Information added.

Google did not immediately respond to Fortune’s request for comment about the project.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter

The new “Area 120” name is play on the company’s 20 percent formula, which lets employees work on their own creative business projects 20 percent of the time. The new deal would bump that one-fifth promise up to a full-time gig.

Over the years, former Googlers have gone on to create some of the biggest household names in the startup world. There was Evan Williams, who worked briefly at the company before he went on to create both Twitter and Medium. Kevin Systrom joined Google right out of college and spent two years there before moving on to eventually found Instagram. Justin Rosenstein dropped out of college to join Google, but later left and eventually co-founded the software company Asana.

Google is trying to sell Boston Dynamics. Watch:

Alphabet, Google’s parent company, reported first quarter earnings last week, matching expectations by raking in $20.3 billion in revenue. But losses on some of Alphabet’s so-called “other bets” (a.k.a. not search advertising) like connected homes and self-driving cars disappointed analysts.

Still, it appears Google could be readying to take a crack at keeping more Silicon Valley tech startups at home, even as venture capitalists grow more cautious about funding these same kinds of young ventures.

About the Author
By Hilary Brueck
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • 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
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 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.