Google to acquire the drone company that Facebook wanted

Google just snatched one of the world’s top drone startups out of Mark Zuckerberg’s clutches. The Big G has purchased Titan Aerospace, a leading maker of high-altitude solar drone robots, for an undisclosed purchase price, according to The Wall Street Journal. Moriarty, New Mexico-based Titan Aerospace just happens to be the very same little company that could that Zuckerberg was reportedly in talks to buy for $60 million last month as part of his ambitious plan to beam the internet to everyone. 

Google Inc. GOOGL +1.38% on Monday acquired a maker of solar-powered drones—a startup that Facebook Inc. FB +0.62% had also considered acquiring—as the technology giants battle to extend their influence and find new users in the far corners of the earth. Google didn’t disclose the purchase price for New Mexico-based Titan Aerospace, which is developing jet-sized drones that are intended to fly nonstop for years. Google said the technology could be used to collect images and offer online access to remote areas. Facebook had been in talks to buy Titan earlier this year, but Google offered to top any Facebook offer, according to a person familiar with the matter. Facebook later agreed to pay $20 million for Ascenta, a U.K.-based aerospace company that also has been working on solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicles.