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Google launching in-house startup incubator called 'Area 120'

Google's new incubator could help it keep talent by providing new business plans with funding, but is it enough?
Written by Jake Smith, Contributor
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Google headquarters

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Alphabet-owned Google is working to launch an in-house startup incubator that could prevent top tech talent from leaving to budding companies in Silicon Valley, according to a report from The Information.

The startup incubator will be called "Area 120," and will be lead by Don Harrison and Bradley Horowitz. Employee's teams will be accepted into the program based on their business plans, where they can accept outside funding for their project or create a company under Google.

The move would allow employees to work on Google's "special projects" full time. The company allots employees 20 percent of their work day to new projects, which have formed the beginnings of Gmail and other hit Google services.

Retention is a widely discussed issue in the tech industry as huge employee compensation packages draw talent from one company to the next. An incubator could give some star employees a bigger reason to keep working under Google's large reach.

Google declined to comment on the report, and it's not clear when the startup shop may open.

Editor's Note: The story's headline has been updated to correct the name of the incubator project.

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