GV, launched as Google Ventures in 2009 by founding CEO Bill Maris, operates as the independent venture capital arm of Alphabet Inc., with Alphabet itself serving as GV's sole limited partner. That structure gives the firm an unusually long time horizon - deals in decades, not funding cycles - while still investing with full independence from Google's core search and advertising business. The firm's $258 million investment in Uber, personally led by current CEO David Krane, became one of its most defining bets, alongside early stakes in Nest Labs, Slack, and Flatiron Health.
Uber's 2019 IPO - GV's $258 million investment, personally led by CEO David Krane, was one of the largest venture checks in Uber's early history