Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai says 'AI shift' makes this a great time to invest in new start-ups

Date:
Wed, 08 Apr 2026 13:05:00 +0000

Description:
Sundar Pichai believes now is a great time to start small and invest in AI startups ahead of major growth.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Tech Radar Pro Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Become a Member in Seconds Unlock instant access to exclusive member features. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are
now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful Join the club Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards. Explore An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter Google wants to "deploy capital in a good
way" among early AI startups Hidden gem projects cover areas like data
centers in space and quantum computing The company invests in third parties when internal opportunities aren't mature enough The CEO of Alphabet (parent company to Google ) has declared now may be a great time to invest in new start-ups, as AI spurs innovation across the board.

"I think now with the AI shift, there are more opportunities on which we can deploy capital in a good way," Sundar Pichai said in a conversation with Stripe co-founder John Collison. Pichai noted Google is now increasing its investments in AI startups, including placing major bets on firms like Anthropic, in a new trend of direct investments - so rather than relying purely on traditional venture capital routes, Google is marking large direct investments from its own balance sheets, as are rival companies like
Microsoft and Nvidia . Article continues below You may like New study claims firms are ready to spend big on AI, but are afraid to take the first step
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boom Google might be poised to make $100 billion or more from a decade-old 2015 bet on SpaceX, however recent surges in demand have introduced new challenges. For example, wafer capacity, the speed of permitting and building data centers and ongoing memory shortages are all expected to persist into 2026, 2027 and beyond.

Pichai explained these constraints effectively create a ceiling on how fast any single company can scale regardless of capital, thus AI investments are best seen as a longer-term bet.

For now, Google's continued strategy is to invest every dollar possible where there is high return on invested capital. Investing in third parties is also
a reflection on Google's own maturity, with Pichai acknowledging that when internal opportunities are not mature enough, the company invests in the
likes of Anthropic, SpaceX and Stripe.

Anthropic has been the recipient of billions in Google investments the startup has since gone on to launch a model that's so powerful it can't be accessed by the public, all packaged up in a way to detect and rectify severe software flaws. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners
or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms &
Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

The company also continues to invest in "hidden gem" projects, including data centers in space, quantum computing, robotics, drone delivery and AI-driven drug discovery starting small leaves room for potentially huge growth.

Looking ahead, Pichai's comments make it clear that AI is less about individual companies going all-in and more about focusing on individual strengths and investing where others might offer bigger opportunities. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/alphabet-ceo-sundar-pichai-says-ai-shift-makes-t his-a-great-time-to-invest-in-new-start-ups


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