Google says it risks hitting growth limit in spite of looking far beyond search

Google is in danger of hitting the invisible ceiling that limits growth at all big companies as it attacks giant new markets far beyond search, according to chief executive Larry Page.

The co-founder of the world’s biggest internet company suggested in an interview that the latest target for Google’s innovation is its own corporate organisation as it tries to adapt to take on new fields, from biotech to driverless cars.

“We’re in uncharted territory,” Mr Page said. “How do we use all these resources we have and have a much more positive impact on the world?”

He added Google was looking to take on “more things of significant impact to people” and that it would be “amazing if we can do that at a bigger scale than we’re doing.”

Mr Page also said that a rethink of Google’s famous mission statement – to “organise the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful” – was probably in order as it moves beyond search.

The Google chief has freed himself up to focus more on the company's new growth initiatives through a management reorganisation, handing day-to-day management of much of the core internet business to one of his top lieutenants, Sundar Pichai. – Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2014