Alphabet Inc (GOOGL) Investment Portfolio: Top 15 Companies

Published on November 17, 2022 at 1:58 pm by Hamna Asim in Hedge Funds, News

In this article, we discuss the top 15 companies in Alphabet Inc (GOOGL)’s investment portfolio. If you want to see more names in this portfolio, check out Alphabet Inc (GOOGL) Investment Portfolio: Top 5 Companies.

GV, previously named Google Ventures, is the venture capital investment arm of Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG), which was founded in 2009 by Bill Maris. GV provides seed, venture, and growth stage funding to startups in the Internet, software, life science, healthcare, artificial intelligence, transportation, cyber security, and agriculture sectors.

Though tech companies like Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) have well-rounded investment divisions, others may not be as committed to their venture arms. With a US recession on the horizon, some venture capitalists are hesitant to keep pouring into startups while their own revenues and profits are dwindling.

GV currently has more than $8 billion in assets under management, with over 400 active portfolio investments across North America and Europe. Some of its prominent investment outcomes include Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER), GitLab Inc. (NASDAQ:GTLB), and Verve Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VERV). To date, 65 of Alphabet-backed startups have had successful initial public offerings and 175 companies have been part of prominent M&A agreements.

Our Methodology

We used Alphabet’s latest SEC filings and picked GV Management’s investments dated November 15 to assess the biggest investments of the firm. The following list is ranked according to GV’s stake value in each firm.

Alphabet Inc (GOOGL) Investment Portfolio: Top 15 Companies

Photo by Kai Wenzel on Unsplash

Alphabet Inc (GOOGL) Investment Portfolio: Top Companies

15. Illumina, Inc. (NASDAQ:ILMN)

Stake Value as of November 15: $9,858,000

Illumina, Inc. (NASDAQ:ILMN) is a California-based company that provides sequencing and array-based solutions for genetic and genomic analysis. The genomic solutions are utilized in research and clinical settings for life sciences, oncology, reproductive health, agriculture, and other emerging applications.

The venture capital arm of Google first invested in Grail, an American biotechnology company focusing on developing an early cancer screening test for people who do not have active symptoms. In September 2020, Illumina, Inc. (NASDAQ:ILMN) announced an agreement to purchase Grail for $7.1 billion. Currently, Alphabet’s GV Management holds a stake worth nearly $10 million in Illumina, Inc. (NASDAQ:ILMN).

Like Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER), GitLab Inc. (NASDAQ:GTLB), and Verve Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VERV), Illumina, Inc. (NASDAQ:ILMN) is one of the premier holdings in the Alphabet investment portfolio.

Polen Capital made the following comment about Illumina, Inc. (NASDAQ:ILMN) in its Q3 2022 investor letter:

“Illumina, Inc. (NASDAQ:ILMN) has had a very difficult year on what we believe are transitory issues. First, the company closed its acquisition of Grail, a startup early-stage cancer testing business it re-acquired (Grail was founded inside Illumina originally) for $8 billion without regulatory approval. Illumina management believes that European regulators have no jurisdiction over the transaction as Grail had no European presence or revenue and member states did not complain within the timeframe specified in applicable regulations. The regulators have challenged these assertions and are likely to try to require Illumina to divest Grail subject to Illumina’s appeal. In the meantime, Grail has already been very dilutive to Illumina’s earnings, and Illumina may have to sell the asset at the end of it all. It is unknown how much Grail could be sold for in this environment if Illumina is forced to divest.

Second, Illumina’s core sequencing business has also slowed. This is not unusual as the business has always been a bit lumpy, but there are new competitors trying to prove that they can sequence genomes cheaper than Illumina without sacrificing accuracy. Our research here suggests: 1) competitor technologies do not seem to be as cost-effective or accurate in the real world as advertised, providing limited risk to Illumina’s core business; 2) Illumina has unveiled its own next-generation technology, which lowers the cost of sequencing the human genome to only $200, including data processing costs with world-class accuracy; 3) the slowdown in the core business is more macroeconomic as customers are looking to reduce consumables inventory levels in tough times and should pass quite quickly considering customers are continuing to use their sequencers at high levels; and 4) even if Illumina were forced to divest Grail, we think they would likely be able to sell it for above what it purchased it for as all of the clinical data on the company’s Galleri cancer screen is now publicly available (it is very positive in our view). Grail has made significant commercial progress since its acquisition, and the company should only be closer to U.S. regulatory approval. We believe we can buy the shares today at an extremely cheap valuation for the core business of a company that we view as having an unmatched position in a market that should be multiples of its current size in the years to come.”

14. IDEAYA Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:IDYA)

Stake Value as of November 15: $10,394,000

IDEAYA Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:IDYA) was incorporated in 2015 and is headquartered in South San Francisco, California. It is a synthetic lethality-focused precision medicine oncology company, specializing in the discovery and development of targeted therapeutics using molecular diagnostics.

In March 2022, IDEAYA Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:IDYA) raised $94 million through a crossover round to start clinical trials for synthetic lethality and cancer immunotherapy. One of the leading stakeholders in this funding round was Alphabet’s GV. As of November 15, Alphabet’s IDEAYA Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:IDYA) stake is valued at $10.3 million.

13. Beam Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:BEAM)

Stake Value as of November 15: $12,449,000

Beam Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:BEAM) is a Massachusetts-based biotechnology company that develops precision genetic medicines to combat serious diseases in the United States. In March 2019, Beam Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:BEAM) completed a $135 million Series B financing round, bringing its total capital to $222 million in less than a year. Beam Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:BEAM) planned to use proceeds from the financing for the advancement of its next-generation CRISPR technologies, expansion of its base editing pipeline, and further enhance its scientific and technical leadership. Alphabet’s GV Management was one of the most prominent investors of Beam. As of November 15, GV holds a $12.4 million stake in Beam Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:BEAM).

Here is what Baron Health Care Fund has to say about Beam Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:BEAM) in their Q1 2021 investor letter:

“Beam Therapeutics Inc. is a biotechnology company pioneering a novel technology called base editing, which allows for individual base pairs (the letters of DNA) to be modified. Shares fell along with other biotechnology stocks driven by a sudden rise in treasury yields. Early stage biotechnology stocks are particularly sensitive to interest rates because their cash flows are further in the future. We believe we are entering into a phase of significant advancement for the gene editing field that will eventually lead to curative therapies, and we think Beam has a unique platform technology.”

12. Monte Rosa Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:GLUE)

Stake Value as of November 15: $14,157,000

Monte Rosa Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:GLUE) was incorporated in 2019 and is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. It is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel small molecule precision medicines. On March 12, 2021, Monte Rosa Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:GLUE) announced the conclusion of a $95 million Series C financing round. The company said that the proceeds will be utilized to take its lead development candidate into the clinic, quicken pipeline growth, and enhance its platform capabilities. One of the major participants in the financing round was Alphabet’s GV Management. GV, as of November 15, holds a $14 million position in Monte Rosa Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:GLUE).

11. 23andMe Holding Co. (NASDAQ:ME)

Stake Value as of November 15: $16,707,000

23andMe Holding Co. (NASDAQ:ME) is a California-based consumer genetics testing company. It operates through two segments – Consumer & Research Services and Therapeutics. Google led the Series A round for 23andMe Holding Co. (NASDAQ:ME) and GV continued its investment all the way through 23andMe Holding Co. (NASDAQ:ME)’s Series E funding. As per latest filings on November 15, GV’s stake in 23andMe Holding Co. (NASDAQ:ME) amounted to $16.70 million.

10. Sana Biotechnology, Inc. (NASDAQ:SANA)

Stake Value as of November 15: $18,084,000

Sana Biotechnology, Inc. (NASDAQ:SANA) was incorporated in 2018 and is headquartered in Seattle, Washington. It is a biotechnology company focusing on utilizing engineered cells as medicines. The company develops ex vivo and in vivo cell engineering platforms for various therapeutic areas such as oncology, diabetes, central nervous system disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and genetic disorders.

On June 23, 2020, Sana Biotechnology, Inc. (NASDAQ:SANA) raised $700 million in initial financing to advance the discovery and development of engineered cells as a treatment for different types of diseases. GV Management was one of the prominent contributors to the funding round. As of November 15, GV held a stake in Sana Biotechnology, Inc. (NASDAQ:SANA) worth about $18 million.

9. Toast, Inc. (NYSE:TOST)

Stake Value as of November 15: $18,539,000

Toast, Inc. (NYSE:TOST) is a Massachusetts-based company that operates a cloud-based and digital technology platform for the restaurant industry in the United States and Ireland. In January 2016, Toast, Inc. (NYSE:TOST) received $30 million in a round of Series B funding from GV and Bessemer Venture Partners. GV was the premier investor of Toast. As of November 15, Alphabet’s GV held a stake worth $18.5 million in Toast, Inc. (NYSE:TOST).

Here is what Baron Opportunity Fund has to say about Toast, Inc. (NYSE:TOST) in its Q3 2021 investor letter:

“Toast, Inc. is a cloud-based end-to-end technology platform purpose-built for the restaurant industry. Its platform provides a comprehensive suite of cloud software products and financial technology solutions to its customers to connect front-of-house with back-of-house operations across all customer channels. Toast’s core module is its point-of-sale software solution and requires all customers to use Toast as their payment processor. Customers then have the option to bundle or add-on additional modules across operations, digital ordering and delivery, marketing and loyalty, team management, and back office. Toast today powers 48,000 restaurants within the 860,000 U.S. restaurant industry, largely focusing on small- and medium-sized (“SMB”) restaurant customers (generally fewer than 10 locations but up to 50), with some larger enterprise customers as well. Toast is the clear market leader in SMB restaurant technology with the best product offering and only full, end-to-end platform. We believe that as restaurants continue to invest in technology at an accelerated pace emerging from COVID, Toast will be a big beneficiary given its leading market position and best-in-class product. At less than 6% penetration of U.S. restaurants and 3% penetration of its $15 billion recurring-revenue TAM, Toast has a long runway for growth by signing on additional locations to the platform and increasing the attach rate of its value-add modules. Only 54% of customers today use 4 or more of Toast’s 10-plus modules, each of which provide significant value to the customer and would drive Toast’s recurring revenue stream higher.”

8. Adagio Therapeutics, Inc.

Stake Value as of November 15: $18,633,000

Adagio Therapeutics, Inc. is a Massachusetts-based clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, focused on the development and commercialization of antibody-based solutions for infectious diseases in the United States. Adagio Therapeutics, Inc. rebranded to Invivyd, Inc. (NASDAQ:IVVD) in September 2022.

On April 19, 2021, Adagio Therapeutics, Inc. closed a $336 million series C round, and one of the biggest investors was Alphabet’s GV Management. Latest filings reveal that Alphabet owns an $18.6 million stake in Adagio Therapeutics, Inc.

7. Desktop Metal, Inc. (NYSE:DM)

Stake Value as of November 15: $24,307,000

Desktop Metal, Inc. (NYSE:DM) is a Massachusetts-based company engaged in the manufacture and sale of additive manufacturing technologies for engineers, designers, and manufacturers in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific. On February 6, 2017, Desktop Metal, Inc. (NYSE:DM) raised $45 million in new venture funding from the venture capital arms of Alphabet, BMW, and Lowe’s. As of November 15, Alphabet’s GV Management holds a $24.30 million stake in Desktop Metal, Inc. (NYSE:DM).

Miller Value Partners released its Q2 2021 investor letter, and mentioned Desktop Metal, Inc. (NYSE:DM). Here is what the firm said:

“Desktop Metals Inc. (DM) declined 21.29% during the period. The company reported their first quarter results with revenue of $11.3M beating consensus of $9.9M with adjusted EBITDA coming in at -$19.4B slightly ahead of consensus of -$20.6M. The company reaffirmed full year 2021 guidance with revenue expected in excess of $100M exiting the year at a revenue run rate of $160M but lowered adjusted EBITDA guidance to -$60M to -$70M from -$50m to -$60m previously. Over the period, the company announced a number of new processes and materials adding a process for wooden parts, the qualification of 316L stainless steel, qualification of 4140 low alloy-steel and the CE (Conformite Europeenne) mark for their Flexcera resin for use in 3D fabrication of dental prosthetics. By the end of the period, the company filed to sell 2.49M shares from existing shareholders.”

6. Relay Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:RLAY)

Stake Value as of November 15: $26,200,000

Relay Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:RLAY) is a Massachusetts-based clinical-stage precision medicines company. It is engaged in transforming the drug discovery process with a focus on small molecule therapeutic discovery in targeted oncology and genetic disease indications. In December 2017, Relay Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:RLAY) completed a $63 million series B funding round, which was led by BVF Partners and backed by many investors including Alphabet’s GV. In December 2018, Relay raised $400 million in a series C round of funding led by SoftBank’s Vision Fund. Prominent investors in this funding round included Alphabet’s GV. As per latest filings, dated November 15, GV owns a position in Relay Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:RLAY) worth $26.20 million.

In addition to Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER), GitLab Inc. (NASDAQ:GTLB), and Verve Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VERV), Relay Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:RLAY) is also backed by Alphabet Inc.

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