Google vice president of mobile technology Rich Miner will reportedly move from the Android mobile OS team to a new role with Google Ventures, the web services giant's rumored $100 million venture fund. Miner joined Google in 2005 with its acquisition of Android, the Silicon Valley mobile software company he co-founded, and subsequently spearheaded development of the mobile platform bearing his startup's name. Rumors of the Google Ventures effort date back to last summer, and last week Miner was spotted at a Silicon Valley venture capital event wearing a name badge that identified him as part of the Google Ventures team--TechCrunch subsequently confirmed Miner's move to the new venture unit, which will be overseen by Google senior vice president of corporate development and chief legal officer David Drummond and led by investor Bill Maris. Google has not yet officially confirmed Google Ventures, but at last week's Plugg conference in Europe, Google M&A exec Anil Hansjee said "We are doing fewer and fewer [investments] out of my team as we form a proper investment fund that will be a separate effort."
For more on the Miner move:
- read this TechCrunch article
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