Google Was the Busiest Startup Acquirer of 2010

Google missed out on prized daily discounter Groupon in 2010, but it still acquired far more start-ups owned by venture capital firms than any other company last year.

Google acquired 10 U.S. venture-backed companies this past year, double the amount of the next most-active acquirers on the list. Its acquisitions ranged from larger land grabs like AdMob Inc., the mobile ad network that sold for $750 million, to small scoops like the acquisition of 15-month-old online travel-guide service Ruba Inc. (VentureSource only counts deals that have closed, so Google’s deal to buy ITA Software Inc. for $700 million — which the Department of Justice is scrutinizing — doesn't make the cut.) Google chief Eric Schmidt lived up to his word after telling analysts on a conference call in October 2009, “We’re open for business, making strategic acquisitions, both large and small.”