CONFIRMED: Google Is An Investor In Zynga (GOOG)

Zynga's amended IPO filing confirms that Google is among its investors.

There had been reports last year that Google had stealthily invested in Zynga. Zynga's first IPO filing didn't mention that. But its amended filing does, as AllThingsD's Tricia Duryee notes.

It's nice to have the confirmation, but it's even more salient today for two reasons:

• The amended filing also reveals that Facebook controls Zynga to a much deeper extent than we originally thought. It's vital for Google to kill Facebook. Google probably invested to get tons of data from inside Facebook's social ecosystem, but it was also funding the growth of the Facebook platform.

Of course, Google+. Google+ is Google's impressive attempt at a Facebook-killer. We know games will be coming to Google+ at some point. Google+'s traction plus Google's investment would seem to make it a no-brainer that Zynga would build games on Google's platform. But we've learned that Facebook can decide what games Zynga can or can't publish on other social platforms. How will that work? 

Don't Miss: How Zynga Makes Zillions Off A Game Like CityVille →

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See Also:

• Here's Zynga's Heavily Redacted New SEC Filing
• CHART OF THE DAY: Google's Headcount Continues To Soar
• Coming Soon: Special Facebook Editions Of News Sites

CONFIRMED: Google Is An Investor In Zynga (GOOG)

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Zynga Has $1 Billion In Cash On Hand

Zynga has a great weapon to beat back competitors: almost $1 billion in cash.

It's actually $995.6 million. That could be really helpful for buying other companies to fill in gaps, like mobile.

Looking at Zynga's IPO filing, it looks like the company's got a pretty good cash machine.

Prior to 2010, the company raised cash through selling preferred shares -- that is, the traditional VC funding model.

But since 2010, it's been able to fund itself entirely through cash from operations. In 2010, its operating activities generated $326.4 million in cash, and in the first quarter of 2011, it got $103.7 million.

See Also: Here's Who Gets Rich Off The Zynga IPO.

 

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See Also:

• Mark Pincus Explains What Zynga Is All About
• ZYNGA FILES FOR $1 BILLION IPO: It Did $235 Million In Revenue, Earned $12 Million In Q1
• ZYNGA: IPO Filing Likely Tomorrow, Looking For $15 Billion To $20 Billion Valuation

Zynga Has $1 Billion In Cash On Hand

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Suddenly, Zynga Is Crushing It In Mobile

Zynga has three games in the Top Grossing 15 in iOS, Inside Social Games points out.

This is worth paying attention to because despite getting into mobile gaming with much fanfare, Zynga actually didn't have much success for a long time. More broadly, many social games makers tried to diversify into mobile so as to reduce their dependence on Facebook and have been crushed by mobile-specific outfits.

For example, you'll never guess how many downloads Angry Birds gets each day. 

Even though Zynga and Facebook now have a modus vivendi, Zynga's reliance on the Facebook platform remains a major risk factor on the company. If Zynga can figure out mobile gaming, it will have a much stronger business.

Don't Miss: How Zynga Makes Millions Off A Stupid Game Like CityVille →

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See Also:

• The Truth About Getting Acquired By Zynga
• Instagram's Growth Is Amazing: Here's How It Can Make Money
• Instagram: 5 Million Users, 95 Million Photos, 4 Employees

Suddenly, Zynga Is Crushing It In Mobile

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THE LINKEDIN EFFECT: Zynga Moved Up Its IPO A Year

How big of an impact did LinkedIn's bonkers IPO have on Silicon Valley CEOs?

In January, sources told the New York Times that Zynga "is in no hurry for an initial public offering and unlikely to seek one this year."

Yesterday, we learned that Zynga wants to file for an IPO in the next month or so. See Zynga's financials here.

Related: To IPO (NOW!!!) Or Not: Facebook's $10 Billion Question

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See Also:

• How Strong Are Network Effects Online, REALLY?
• Zynga Close To IPO Filing, Says Report
• Here's Why Zynga Is Going To File For An IPO

THE LINKEDIN EFFECT: Zynga Moved Up Its IPO A Year

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