Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt: Alphabet is about to get 'a lot' bigger

Advertisement

eric schmidt

REUTERS/Beck Diefenbach

Google CEO Eric Schmidt speaks during the company's Chrome event in San Francisco December 7, 2010.

Google surprised the tech industry in August when it announced that the company would become a subsidiary of a new parent company called Alphabet.

Advertisement

This means Google is just one company under the Alphabet umbrella, and the new structure allows all of the company's various arms to operate more quickly and independently.

The change divides Google's projects and businesses into companies under Alphabet (i.e. Google, Calico, Life Sciences, etc.).

Complimentary Tech Event
Transform talent with learning that works
Capability development is critical for businesses who want to push the envelope of innovation.Discover how business leaders are strategizing around building talent capabilities and empowering employee transformation.Know More

However, Eric Schmidt, the company's executive chairman and former CEO of Google, says Alphabet is only in its early stages and there are a lot more Alphabet companies to come.

Re/code obtained a recording of Schmidt speaking at the Virtuous Circle conference, a summit on tech and policy hosted by the Internet Association. During the talk, he suggested that we'll see more subsidiaries form within Alphabet.

Advertisement

"After 26, we're going to probably transcendental numbers," Schmidt said according to Re/code. "You think I'm kidding?...I've been meeting with the current CEOs of the Alphabet companies and the proposed ones. So you'll see a lot coming."

Schmidt also said that the company is still figuring things out when it comes to Alphabet.

"I wake up, and I'm the chairman of Alphabet," Schmidt also said at the conference. "We sort of announced it without actually knowing which companies it would be. So we're still working the details."