Tech Brand Ownership Map 2026: Who Owns What

Five Companies, Hundreds of Brands

The technology industry may be the most acquisitive sector in the global economy. Since 2000, the five largest tech companies alone have completed over 1,000 acquisitions. Many of the apps you use daily, the devices in your home, and the platforms where you consume content are owned by a handful of corporate giants.

As of 2026, Alphabet (Google's parent), Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta collectively have a combined market capitalization exceeding $14 trillion. Their brand portfolios span search, social media, cloud computing, entertainment, hardware, gaming, and artificial intelligence.

This guide maps every major tech brand to its parent company, covering the acquisitions that built today's tech landscape.

Alphabet (Google)

Headquarters: Mountain View, California Ticker: NASDAQ: GOOGL Market Cap: ~$2.4 trillion (January 2026) CEO: Sundar Pichai

Alphabet was created in 2015 as a holding company for Google and its various subsidiaries. Google remains the core business, but Alphabet's brand portfolio extends far beyond search.

• Google Search (90%+ global search market share)
• YouTube (acquired 2006, $1.65 billion; now generates $35 billion+ annually in ad revenue)
• Gmail (1.8 billion+ users)
• Google Maps
• Google Chrome (65%+ browser market share)
• Google Cloud Platform
• Android (72%+ global mobile OS market share)
• Google Pixel (hardware)

• Waze (navigation, acquired 2013, $1.1 billion)
• Waymo (self-driving vehicles, developed internally)
• Fitbit (wearables, acquired 2021, $2.1 billion)
• Mandiant (cybersecurity, acquired 2022, $5.4 billion)
• Looker (business intelligence, acquired 2020, $2.6 billion)
• DeepMind (AI research, acquired 2014, $500 million)

2025 landmark deal: Alphabet completed its acquisition of Wiz, the cybersecurity startup, for approximately $32 billion in cash. This was Alphabet's largest acquisition ever, surpassing its $12.5 billion purchase of Motorola Mobility in 2012. The Wiz deal reflects Alphabet's push to strengthen Google Cloud's security offerings.

Key fact: YouTube alone would be worth an estimated $400 billion+ as a standalone company, according to multiple Wall Street analyst estimates. The $1.65 billion Google paid in 2006 is considered one of the best acquisitions in tech history.

Apple

Headquarters: Cupertino, California Ticker: NASDAQ: AAPL Market Cap: ~$3.7 trillion (January 2026) CEO: Tim Cook

Apple is the world's most valuable company and takes a distinctly different approach to acquisitions than its peers. Apple prefers small, technology-focused acquisitions (often called "acqui-hires") over large brand purchases.

• iPhone
• Mac / MacBook
• iPad
• Apple Watch
• AirPods
• Apple TV+
• Apple Music
• Siri (voice assistant, technology acquired 2010)
• App Store
• iCloud

• Beats Electronics (2014, $3 billion; became the foundation for Apple Music and the Beats headphone line)
• Shazam (2018, $400 million; music recognition integrated into iOS)
• Intel's smartphone modem business (2019, $1 billion; for in-house 5G chip development)
• Dark Sky (2020, weather app integrated into Apple Weather)
• Primephonic (2021, classical music app, became Apple Music Classical)

Apple's acquisition philosophy: Unlike Google or Microsoft, Apple rarely acquires large consumer-facing brands. Instead, it buys small companies for their technology or talent and integrates them into Apple's existing product ecosystem. Since 2000, Apple has acquired over 130 companies, but the vast majority were for under $100 million.

Key fact: The Beats acquisition remains Apple's largest deal ever at $3 billion. By comparison, Microsoft spent $69 billion on Activision Blizzard and Alphabet spent $32 billion on Wiz.

Microsoft

Headquarters: Redmond, Washington Ticker: NASDAQ: MSFT Market Cap: ~$3.2 trillion (January 2026) CEO: Satya Nadella

Microsoft has been one of the most aggressive acquirers in tech under CEO Satya Nadella, who has completed over $100 billion in acquisitions since taking the helm in 2014.

• Windows (desktop operating system)
• Microsoft 365 (Office suite)
• Microsoft Teams (workplace collaboration)
• Azure (cloud computing, #2 behind AWS)
• Bing (search engine)
• Outlook (email)
• Edge (browser)

• LinkedIn (2016, $26.2 billion; professional networking with 1 billion+ members)
• GitHub (2018, $7.5 billion; developer platform with 100 million+ users)
• ZeniMax Media / Bethesda (2021, $7.5 billion; game studios behind Elder Scrolls, Fallout, DOOM)
• Nuance Communications (2022, $19.7 billion; healthcare AI and speech recognition)
• Activision Blizzard (2023, $68.7 billion; gaming company behind Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Candy Crush)
• Minecraft (acquired via Mojang in 2014 for $2.5 billion; one of the best-selling games of all time with 300 million+ copies sold)

• Xbox (console and platform)
• Xbox Game Pass (subscription service)
• Activision (Call of Duty, Crash Bandicoot)
• Blizzard (World of Warcraft, Overwatch, Diablo)
• King (Candy Crush)
• Bethesda (Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Starfield)
• Mojang (Minecraft)
• Obsidian Entertainment (The Outer Worlds)

AI investments: Microsoft has invested over $13 billion in OpenAI (maker of ChatGPT) and integrated AI across its product line through "Copilot" features in Windows, Office, and Azure.

Meta

Headquarters: Menlo Park, California Ticker: NASDAQ: META Market Cap: ~$1.7 trillion (January 2026) CEO: Mark Zuckerberg

Meta (formerly Facebook, renamed in October 2021) controls the world's largest social media ecosystem.

• Facebook (3 billion+ monthly active users)
• Instagram (acquired 2012, $1 billion; 2 billion+ monthly active users)
• WhatsApp (acquired 2014, $19 billion; 2.7 billion+ monthly active users)
• Messenger
• Threads (text-based social media, launched 2023)
• Meta Quest (VR headsets, formerly Oculus, acquired 2014, $2 billion)
• Meta AI (AI assistant)

Key fact: Meta's $19 billion acquisition of WhatsApp in 2014 was widely criticized as overpriced. Today, WhatsApp has 2.7 billion monthly active users and is the dominant messaging platform in most of the world outside the U.S. and China. Meta is gradually monetizing WhatsApp through business messaging and payment features.

The Instagram story: When Meta (then Facebook) acquired Instagram in 2012 for $1 billion, the photo-sharing app had just 30 million users and 13 employees. By 2025, Instagram generated an estimated $50 billion+ in advertising revenue. The $1 billion purchase price is considered one of the greatest bargain acquisitions in business history.

Amazon

Amazon's tech brand portfolio is covered in detail in our separate guide: Every Brand Amazon Owns in 2026. Key tech holdings include Twitch, Alexa/Echo, Ring, Kindle, AWS, and MGM.

Sony

Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan Ticker: NYSE: SONY Market Cap: ~$230 billion (January 2026)

Sony operates across electronics, gaming, music, and entertainment.

• PlayStation (gaming console, 50 million+ PS5 units sold)
• Sony Music Entertainment (second-largest music company)
• Sony Pictures (film and TV studio)
• Sony Interactive Entertainment (game development)
• Xperia (smartphones)
• Walkman (audio, legacy brand)

Notable gaming acquisitions: Sony acquired Bungie (Destiny franchise) for $3.6 billion in 2022 and Insomniac Games (Spider-Man, Ratchet & Clank) for $229 million in 2019.

Samsung

Headquarters: Seoul, South Korea Ticker: KRX: 005930

Samsung Electronics is the world's largest smartphone manufacturer and a dominant force in memory chips, displays, and consumer electronics. Unlike Western tech giants, Samsung grows primarily through internal development rather than acquisitions.

Key brands: Galaxy (smartphones), Samsung TV (QLED/OLED), Samsung Semiconductor, Bixby (AI assistant), Samsung Pay.

Other Notable Tech Brand Owners

Note on the Adobe/Figma deal: Adobe's planned $20 billion acquisition of Figma was initially blocked by regulators in late 2023. However, after restructuring the deal terms, the acquisition was completed in 2024 with modified conditions.

The AI Acquisition Race

Artificial intelligence has become the dominant theme in tech M&A. Key deals and investments include:

• Microsoft + OpenAI: $13 billion+ investment, integration of ChatGPT technology across Microsoft products
• Alphabet + DeepMind: Acquired in 2014, now central to Google's AI strategy (Gemini models)
• Amazon + Anthropic: $4 billion investment in the Claude AI startup
• Apple: Acquired multiple AI startups in 2024-2025, integrating on-device AI through "Apple Intelligence"
• Meta: Developed Llama open-source AI models and integrated Meta AI across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp

The competition for AI talent and technology has driven acquisition prices to unprecedented levels and is reshaping every major tech company's strategy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Google own YouTube?

Yes. Alphabet (Google's parent company) acquired YouTube in October 2006 for $1.65 billion. YouTube now generates over $35 billion in annual advertising revenue and is the world's second-largest search engine after Google itself.

Does Microsoft own Call of Duty?

Yes. Microsoft acquired Activision Blizzard, the maker of Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, and Candy Crush, for $68.7 billion in October 2023. This was the largest gaming acquisition in history.

Who owns Instagram and WhatsApp?

Both are owned by Meta (formerly Facebook). Instagram was acquired in 2012 for $1 billion, and WhatsApp was acquired in 2014 for $19 billion.

Which tech company has spent the most on acquisitions?

Microsoft has spent the most on acquisitions among tech companies, with over $100 billion in deals under CEO Satya Nadella alone. The $68.7 billion Activision Blizzard deal is the largest tech acquisition in history.

Does Amazon own Twitch?

Yes. Amazon acquired Twitch, the live-streaming platform, in 2014 for approximately $970 million. Twitch remains the dominant platform for gaming live streams.

The Bottom Line

The tech industry's brand map is dominated by a small number of massive companies that have built empires through strategic acquisitions. Understanding this ownership landscape helps you see connections between seemingly unrelated products and services. The app on your phone, the console in your living room, and the cloud storing your photos may all belong to the same parent company.

As AI reshapes the tech industry in 2026 and beyond, expect the acquisition pace to accelerate further. The companies that control the most data, talent, and compute infrastructure will continue to consolidate their positions.

Want to explore tech brand ownership? Browse all technology brands or search for a specific brand.

Explore Related Brands

• YouTube - World's largest video platform, owned by Alphabet
• LinkedIn - Professional network, owned by Microsoft
• WhatsApp - Global messaging app, owned by Meta
• Xbox - Gaming platform, owned by Microsoft
• PlayStation - Gaming console, owned by Sony
• Alexa - Voice assistant, owned by Amazon

Browse all Technology & Software brands

Sources

1. Alphabet Inc. Annual Report 2024. SEC Filing 10-K. 2. Microsoft Corporation. Annual Report 2025. SEC Filing 10-K. 3. Meta Platforms Inc. Annual Report 2024. SEC Filing 10-K. 4. Apple Inc. Annual Report 2025. SEC Filing 10-K. 5. Dealroom.net. "Upcoming Mergers and Acquisitions in 2026." dealroom.net 6. The Wall Street Journal. "Alphabet Completes $32B Wiz Acquisition." 2025. 7. Statista. "Global tech market share data." 2024-2025.

All brand ownership data verified through WhoBrands.com's research methodology. Last updated: February 9, 2026.