Tech group Google is intervening in its ideas breeding ground Area 120. The company would like to get its spending under better control and is therefore making cutbacks, American media report based on insiders. The company is cutting the financing of the internal breeding ground. Jobs are also disappearing in that part.
Staff would have been informed of the interventions this week. For example, a number of ongoing projects were revised or cancelled. Previously, there were fourteen projects housed in Area 120. That would now be seven. Employees concerned will have the opportunity to apply within Google. But those who fail to do so will have to leave, according to the sources.
Among other things, the interventions should ensure that Area 120 can focus more on artificial intelligence, one of Google’s top priorities. The unit currently employs just under 100 people. At the beginning of the year there were still 170. Worldwide, Google has about 170,000 employees.
Area 120 was launched in 2016. The incubator for new ideas offers a select group of employees the opportunity to work on small start-ups within Google. “Many of Google’s best ideas start out as passion projects,” explains the Area 120 website.
Previous projects from Area 120 include HTML5 gaming platform GameSnacks, AI voice advertising platform AdLingo, AirTable competitor Tables, video platforms Tangi and Shoploop, and travel app Touring Bird. All these elaborated ideas are contained in Google Chrome, Search, Shopping or Cloud.
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