GV

GV is an initialism with multiple meanings across different fields. The most widely known usage is GV, the venture capital arm of Alphabet Inc., originally established as Google Ventures. Founded in 2009 and renamed GV in 2015, the firm provides funding and strategic support to technology and life sciences companies at seed, early, and growth stages. GV emphasizes software, artificial intelligence, hardware, and biotech, and operates globally with offices in the United States and Europe. The firm pools resources across its portfolio to assist founders with product development, hiring, and strategic partnerships.

In biology, GV denotes the germinal vesicle, a membrane-bound structure within the oocyte that contains the cell’s genetic material before maturation. The GV stage precedes meiosis; breakdown of the germinal vesicle (GVBD) marks entry into the meiotic divisions that prepare the egg for fertilization. The term is common in developmental biology and reproductive medicine, including discussions of oocyte quality and in vitro fertilization.

In genetics and clinical contexts, GV is sometimes used informally to refer to a genetic variant or gene variant, though such shorthand is not standardized and may be ambiguous without context. The acronym GV can also appear in other specialized vocabularies, organizations, and place names, reflecting its status as a versatile abbreviation.