Google Ventures Portfolio Is the Picture
of Diversity

by Clint Boulton

The new Google Ventures Website displays a colorful picture of the Googleplex, in Mountain View, Calif.

A mobile payment provider, Corduro is the newest member of the Ventures family. Could it give Jack Dorsey’s Square mobile card payments service a run for its money?

Google is big on translation services. English Central aims to teach people English through videos.

It’s not as fun as it sounds, but OpenCandy is another ad network and, as such, close to Google’s heart. The company’s expertise lies in monetizing consumer-facing apps.

VigLink helps users earn money by linking to a product, Website or promotion. VigLink turns that link into an affiliate link, granting users a commission for any purchases made.

Future search in action? Maybe, and it’s right up Google’s alley. Check out the Recorded Future video here.

Pixazza lets users mouse over normally static pictures and make them dynamic. This could be a new way to show content and advertise on top of it.

As a major consumer of energy, Google has been big on smart grid technologies of late. Silver Spring fits the bill. The Silver Spring Smart Energy Platform provides a network, software and services.

Scvngr makes a geogaming platform that draws on location information. Look out, Foursquare!

Adimab, which makes a yeast-based antibody discovery platform, is geeky in a way that even challenges Google. It’s also a departure from the normal high-tech services in which Google trades.

Little is known about startup V-Vehicle, which appears to be a hybrid car maker.